With the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games just over one year away, a cross-country skiing competition, often described as a “marathon on snow,” took place in the heart of Seoul and amid the crowds of the capital.

Cross-country skiers from around the world were pitted against each other in the 2017 Seoul International Cross-Country Competition, held along the Hangang River on Jan. 20 and 21, just one week away from the FIS Cross-Country World Cup from Feb. 3 to 5 that will be held at the Alpensia Resort, one of a series of test events for the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Games.

In the competition, 80 athletes -- 60 from Korea and 20 from 11 other countries, including Norway and Canada -- participated in the winter ski race.



One Korean athlete stole the show: Magnus Kim won the men’s final. Born in Norway, Kim has acquired South Korean citizenship and will now represent his new nation in the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Games. The Norwegian-turned-South Korean proved his outstanding athletic ability in the Seoul competition. His victory also raised public awareness of the sport itself.

“I liked it, as the course was well-prepared and many people came to see the competition,” said Kim. “I feel so good that I think I did quite a good job today. I'm traveling to Pyeongchang in Gangwon-do Province now to gear up for the upcoming test event slated for early February. With barely a year to go until the Olympic Games, I will work harder to achieve a satisfactory outcome,” he said, full of ambition.

“This competition we hosted in the center of the city, instead of at a sporting venue, has helped to give the public a better, first-hand understanding of cross-country skiing, one of the main sporting events at the PyeongChang Winter Games,” said President Jeong Gui-hwan of the Seoul Metropolitan Ski Association.

In cross-country skiing, teams and individuals race in an open-air, snow-capped venue, mainly through naturally mountainous areas, in over three types of terrain. There's an uphill part, flat ground and then a downhill part. In Pyeongchang, both male and female athletes will compete in each of six cross-country events, including individual and team events, a sprint and a relay race.

By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Yonhap News
jiae5853@korea.kr