The third time's a charm! When I first moved to Korea four years ago South Korea was in the midst of a bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. It was their second time bidding for the Winter Olympics, having barely lost 6 years prior to Vancouver to host the 2010 Olympics. They had lost to Vancouver by only 4 votes. Unfortunately in 2007 Russia beat Korea in its second bid by an even more agonizing 3 votes. This past week Korea tried for the third time to host the Winter Olympics. Success! And a landslide. Korea won it's bid with 63 votes, the most ever in a first round of voting.
The 2018 Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Pyeongchang is about 3 hours from Seoul, on the east coast. They do get a lot of snow. I went skiing there this past winter. When our bus left Seoul it was cloudy, but not snowing. Right as we got into the Pyeongchang area the snow started to fall we could see they had received 12 inches of fresh snow the night before. The mountains of Korea certainly can't compare to the Alps, or even the Rockies, but I guess the IOC thinks they're good enough for Olympic skiing.
Of course, skiing just accounts for a few of the winter events. In fact, most of the events do not take place on a mountain ski slope. Korea is especially proud of their strong speed skaters. Unwitting to most Americans, South Korea has a rivalry with the United States when it comes to speed skating. Didn't know that, did you? Apparently in one of the previous Olympics the American, Apolo Ohno, knocked a Korean down and cost him the gold medal. Of course it wasn't on purpose but it doesn't matter. Koreans remain very bitter about that moment. Mention "Apolo Ohno" to any Korean and they'll respond with a scowl. Especially the kids. I just think it's amazing that they know an American athlete by name. I doubt many Americans could name any Korean athletes. There might be one, however- Kim Yuna.
Kim Yuna won the gold medal in figure skating for South Korea in last year's Vancouver Olympics, winning Korea it's first medal in that sport and earning herself the devotion of a nation. Her face is plastered everywhere here. There's even a children's cartoon based on her. I know- crazy!
Last year South Korea won a total of 14 Olympics medals in Vancouver, 6 of those gold. It was Korea's best showing ever. Compare that 2002 when they won just 4 medals in all and they've come a long way. The excitement of the Korean people is palpable and they are ready for such a big event, not just as a city, but as a nation. I attended the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics with my sister, Laura. They were so smoothly run it was amazing. If the Asian work ethic is any indication, I think the Pyeongchang Olympics will be just as organized and successful.
In 1988 Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics. That truly was a watershed event in the history of this country. It directly helped bring democracy to South Korea and was a coming out party for the country. Korea was no longer a backwater Asian country known for it's nasty northern neighbor and a war in the 1950's, but an up and coming nation capable and worthy of big things. It will be interesting to see how this next Olympics changes the country, 30 years later. Whether I'm still living in Korea or not, I know I'll be there!
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