South Korea to host 2018 Winter Games

[dkwrkm]

DURBAN, South Africa-The International Olympic Committee named Pyeongchang, South Korea, as the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

IOC President Jacques Rogge announced the decision.

The candidates were Pyeongchang, which was the favorite; Munich, Germany; and Annecy, France.

Pyeongchang will be the first city in Asia outside Japan to host

Comments

[hazel_belle]

YAY for South Korea.

I'll be twenty nine and possible able to afford tickets to an event and hotel and airfare to SK!

[etherealtsuki]

I'm hella happy for them. I still think Sochi getting it before Pyeongyang was some bullshit considering Torino 2006 even if Beijing had 2008.

This make me think that US's chances for 2024 Summer Olympics looking really solid since 4 of the viable 6 continents(Europe has London 2012 and Sochi 2014, SA has Rio 2016, Asia Beijing 2008 and now Pyeongyang 2018) even if they count SA and NA as a continent. It really should be a lock since it would be 28 years since ATL 1996. They canceled the bid for 2020 unfortunately but it looks really good for an African country (I think Kenya really has the best chance out of all of them although they haven't picked a city). But also if Madrid doesn't get the 2020 bid, it looks really bad considering the IOC has a bias for Europe and I don't think the IOC want anything other than LA or NYC.

[etherealtsuki]

Forgot that Oceania/Australia had 2000 so getting it 20 years later of the same event is unlikely and I don't think they have a bid.

[imnotasquirrel]

I thought that the US committee was holding off on bidding until the [something or the other - revenue sharing?] issue was resolved?

LOL, I don't know if a New York City bid would have any realistic shot at winning. I don't know if it'd have a lot of support among the city residents, either. (??)

[etherealtsuki]

The residents were 50-60% supportive. Most complain it will affect the transit which is a viable complaint but there was a plan for MTA to step it up.

We were the frontrunners in 2012. The only thing that held us back from winning the bid is that we didn't have a stadium ready since the Meadowlands was like 30 or so years old back then and there weren't concrete plans for the next stadium for Giants and/or Jets (of course, they ended up sharing the New Meadowlands).

NYC basically had everything except for the Olympics Village and Stadium. That was it.

[imnotasquirrel]

Bach, the head of the German Olympic committee, is whining about how Pyeongchang won via sympathy votes. Stay pressed, Bach.

[etherealtsuki]

It's not like Torino 2006 and Sochi 2014 existed/exist, amirite?

It's frustrating enough that the IOC already has an Europe bias.

[imnotasquirrel]

Well, he brought up Rio's 2016 bid as a comparison, and was saying how it was different because at least Rio wasn't making a bid for sympathy, blah blah blah.

I'm sure his take on the situation had nothing to do with the fact that Munich wasn't a contender for the 2016 Olympics, right?

[etherealtsuki]

Jesus, what a bad loser.

IT'S NOT LIKE PYEONGCHANG WAS A SERIOUS CONTENDER AND WAS THE FRONTRUNNER FOR 2014 UNTIL SOCHI CAME OUT OF NOWHERE TO WIN IT. SERIOUSLY.

I don't get how he seriously though that another European country was going to win it when they have 2 out of 4 Winter Olympics before Pyeongchang 2018? What entitlement.

[shirozora]

Well this is exciting! 2018, hmmm....enough time for me to decide if I care enough to take up my relatives' offer and time my visit with the Olympics, XD

[wrestlingdog]

Oooh, I like this!