(ATR) PyeongChang 2018 leaders promise the press that all will be ready for the first Winter Olympics in South Korea.
More than 200 media representatives are in the midst of a four-day inspection of the venues and press services for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
"I will ensure that all venues are ready. I will work day and night with the 800-plus staff to keep my promise," said PyeongChang 2018 president and CEO Hee Beom Lee at the opening of the briefing Tuesday at the Alpensia Resort, center of the mountain venue cluster and Olympic Village.
While he says that the best technology will be employed for the media, Lee told the press group not to expect fancy working conditions.
"Please understand that Winter Olympic Games take place in more remote areas with less developed infrastructure. Same goes for PyeongChang. We will do everything we can for media. But you will find we lack the complete luxuries of big cities," said Lee.
But IOC media operations chief Anthony Edgar said that journalists will appreciate the compact layout of the venues.
"This is easily the most compact environment I’ve ever seen. This is a Cross country-Games, it’s a Nordic Games it’s so close together.
"From a media perspective you haven’t got the two and three hour travels that you had to Whistler, for example. I think you’ll be very surprised on the venue tour," said Edgar.
The distance between the mountain cluster and coastal cluster where all ice events will be held is about a 25 minute ride by bus or car.
Edgar admitted the only transport challenge is the 250 km (155 miles) distance to cover from Incheon airport in Seoul. The journey by highway is upwards of three hours, somewhat trying after a long airplane trip.
The salvation is a new high speed railway that is supposed to cut the travel time from Seoul to just over an hour. Gangwon Province Governor Moon Soon Choi, speaking in English to the press briefing assured that the rail line is on track to be completed next year and fully operational for 2018.
Also new for the 2018 Winter Olympics: an IOC managed Olympic News Service. Edgar reported to the briefing that after a recommendation following the London Games, the IOC will take responsibility for the ONS in PyeongChang.
"We are working very much with the PyeongChang press operations group. We’re very lucky that we’ve got some very experienced people that are going to take over," Anthony said.
The new operation that will take over for both summer and winter is to be called Olympic Information Services and will deliver for the Olympics and Paralympics.
A venue tour is on tap for the Wednesday session of the World Press Briefing. Thursday is the final day. The World Press Briefing is a traditional prelude to the next Olympics, with usually one in advance of the winter games and two prior to the Summer Olympics.
Written by Ed Hula.
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