While sports enthusiasts all around the world are gearing up for the winter Olympics 2018 South Korea, officials in PyeongChang are putting the finishing touches on the venues that will host the XXIII Games.
Although this is the second time the Olympics have been held in South Korea – the 1988 Summer Games took place in Seoul — it’s the country’s first Winter Games and PyeongChang’s first international sporting event of this caliber. South Korea previously made unsuccessful bids on both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.
The 2018 Winter Olympics will consist of 102 events in 15 different sports over the course of 18 days. These events will take place at 13 venues spread across the counties of PyeongChang and Jeongseon, as well as the coastal city of Gangneung. The Opening and Closing ceremonies and most snow sports will be located in PyeongChang, with the Alpine Speed events in Jeongseon and ice sports in Gangneung. The Alpensia Resort in PyeongChang’s township of Daegwallyeong-myeon will be the Games’ central hub.
Pronounced “pyuhng-chahng,” Pyeongchang is located in the Gangwon province of South Korea in the Taebaek Mountains. It sits just over 100 miles east from South Korea’s capital, Seoul, and around 50 miles from the border of North Korea. The closest international airport to Pyeongchang is in the nearby town of Yangyang. However, the Incheon International Airport in Seoul will function as the main airport for Olympic visitors. See the location of Pyeongchang on the map below.
I did not realize the Winter Olympics are 6 months away and will be hosted in PyeongChang…here’s a map pic.twitter.com/Nlk0zhTumZ
— Billy Donovan (@wjdonovan) October 3, 2017
The first competitive events of the 2018 Winter Olympics will take place in PyeongChang on Thursday, Feb. 8, with the Opening Ceremony set for Friday, Feb. 9. The Games will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 25.
