After a three-day IOC inspection, International Ski Federation president Gian-Franco Kasper tells Around the Rings that PyeongChang has to get cracking on sponsorship.
Speaking to ATR on the final day of the IOC coordination commission’s visit, Kasper said the Korean Games organizers were "doing a good job" but highlighted the failure to secure the first domestic sponsor as a significant concern.
"No doubt they have to do big work to get some sponsors on board," said the 70-year-old Swiss.
The president of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports confirmed that no sponsor announcement had been made during the IOC’s third inspection visit to the 2018 host city.
He revealed that PyeongChang leaders were not expecting to announce their first domestic partner until after this year’s Asian Games in Incheon – more than five months away.
Nevertheless, Kasper said everything he had heard from PyeongChang 2018 officials in closed-door presentations and on venue tours had made him "optimistic on the outcome of the Games."
He cited accommodations as another of the challenges "and building of a few things, but nothing special."
Asked how preparations compared to those for Sochi 2014, he hinted at a smoother run-in to the 2018 edition: "The Koreans have experience of sports and don’t have to start from scratch. You can’t compare to Sochi."
Speaking about skiing, Kasper admitted no concerns about downhill course or other FIS disciplines.
"The first World Cup races are in 2016, so there’s enough time in case we have to make some momentum," he added.
Gunilla Lindberg, IOC coordination commission chair for PyeongChang, said in a statement wrapping the IOC check-up that "a large amount has been accomplished by POCOG and its partners since our last visit in June 2013."
"The 2018 Games are on the right track, but it is clear that much work remains," the Swedish IOC member warned.
The IOC called for POCOG to focus on marketing, venue construction, test events, and Games services over the next six months.
The commission was told that construction companies were being appointed for venues and that some building work is underway. It underlined the need for timelines to be carefully defined and adhered to, in order to avoid any impacts on test events.
With timelines tight for the completion of accommodation contracting, the development of the Mountain Olympic Village and the transport management plan, the IOC has told POCOG to put a greater focus and allocate more resources to these areas.
The IOC officials heard from a range of Olympic stakeholders in meetings this week, with the government represented by among others deputy sports minister Jong Kim and Governor of Gangwon Moon-soon Choi.
On Wednesday, the commission toured the mountain and coastal clusters, visiting a number of the venues, including both Olympic Villages, the sliding centre, and some venues for ice sports.
The IOC noted progress on the new highway and high-speed train connections from Seoul to the Olympic region. The appointment of three vice-presidents by POCOG and an associated reorganization were received positively, according to an IOC statement.
Commenting on the IOC’s visit, POCOG president Jin-sun Kim said the IOC visit was notable for the high-level representatives of the seven international winter sports federations who were part of the check-up.
"We reconfirmed the fact that ‘Now is PyeongChang’ and that the eyes of the world are now on PyeongChang," he said.
"This year is a big turning point for us. We must establish a solid framework. As I always stress, we have no time to practice and no time for trial and error. We will streamline our master schedule and set our priorities straight so that everything runs smoothly according to the timeline."
In June, PyeongChang will host the IOC’s Sochi 2014 debrief.
The fourth IOC co-com visit to the Korean city is scheduled for the end of November.
Written by Mark Bisson
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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