Athletes' dormitories in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province, officially open on Feb. 1, with one week to go before the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony. (Yonhap News)
By Lee Hana
Athletes' dormitories in Pyeongchang and Gangneung officially opened their doors on Feb. 1, with one week left to go before the start of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
A ceremony to celebrate the grand opening was held at each dormitory. The ceremony in Pyeongchang was attended by a number of officials, including International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, Pyeongchang Organizing Committee President Lee Hee-beom and Second Vice Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism Roh Tae-kang.
"I'm thrilled to be here at the heart of the Olympics," said Bach, adding that Pyeongchang's dormitories were one of the best facilities he had ever seen in the history of the Winter Games.
"I hope that the athletes based here will practice the Olympic spirit and become friends with their fellow sportspeople from around the world," he said.
Athletes from participating countries will begin moving into the dormitories over the next week, leading up to the PyeongChang Opening Ceremony.
The Pyeongchang dormitories will house athletes competing in events on the snow, while the Gangneung dormitories will house those competing in the events played on ice.
PyeongChang will host the largest number of participants ever for a Winter Olympics, with a total of 2,925 athletes from 92 countries expected to attend.
At a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Pyeongchang athletes' dormitories, officials release dove-shaped balloons into the sky as symbols of peace, in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do Province, on Fab. 1. (Pyeongchang Organizing Committee)
With athletes arriving around the clock, the 12 main sporting venues for the PyeongChang Olympics also made their facilities available for practice.
Starting Feb. 1, all competing athletes will be able to access the venues for training.
The Jeongseon Alpine Center and the Yongpyong Alpine Center opened first on Feb. 1, followed by the Gangneung Ice Arena.
hlee10@korea.kr
