who won two medals at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 plan to compete in the upcoming Olympic season are making their comeback to competition after seven years away who were the first athletes of Asian descent to win an Olympic medal since ice dance became an Olympic event in 1976 are calling an end to a hiatus that began after the PyeongChang Games They plan to compete in the upcoming season under Marina Zueva and Massimo Scali the Shibutanis – who were inducted into U.S Figure Skating's Hall of Fame in 2023 – began skating together in 2004 They won two national titles and three World medals in their first competitive stint in addition to their two Olympic medals "I’m so happy and grateful to be healthy and in a position to make the decision to return to the sport I love in this way." Added Alex Shibutani: "We don't take any of this for granted We're really enjoying the process and look forward to performing and competing together again." They have also worked as choreographers as well as advocated for diversity and representation in sport Maia and Alex Shibutani relive Olympic bronze medal-winning performance from PyeongChang 2018: 'It was a very emotional day''The two-time Olympic bronze medallists went back to the Gangneung Ice Arena during the Winter Youth Games Gangwon 2024 and skated on the same rink where exactly six years ago they clinched bronze in the ice dancing event. LAKE PLACID — Pyeongchang, Korea joined the ranks of former Olympic cities to sign an official partnership with Lake Placid this weekend during the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation World Championships. Amidst the gifts and pleasantries, Lake Placid Mayor Art Devlin said this is a way to “keep the name alive” and keep Lake Placid on the radar of the broader Olympic community. Former Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism CEO Jim McKenna, who drove the effort behind these partnerships for many years, agreed with this. Lake Placid is unique even among the select group of Olympic cities — a township of 8,000 in North Elba rubbing elbows with cities like Beijing. “These kind of relationships help us continue to be in the spotlight, globally,” McKenna said. This is the most recent agreement among more than a dozen that Lake Placid has formed over the years, according to McKenna. This effort started in 1988 with Calgary, continuing with many other former Olympic cities as well as several Winter World University Games host cities. In a speech before signing the agreement, Devlin said this agreement is a recognition of shared values and a promise to continue economic and educational collaborations. “We now welcome each other as we continue to embrace the values of respect, unity and collaboration that define both of our communities,” he said. Pyeongchang Mayor Shim Jae-guk spoke through an interpreter to thank Lake Placid for the help it gave as Pyeongchang was preparing to host the Olympic Games in 2018. “Our games were successful because we learned from you,” Shim said. Lake Placid, ORDA and IBSF officials were joined by New York State assemblymembers Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, and Bobby Carroll, D-Brooklyn. John Morgan, a Saranac Lake native and long-time bobsled commentator and broadcaster, was excited about this new partnership. Among the benefits of this relationship, Morgan said, is Pyeongchang’s proven ability to promote bobsledding and help develop sliding athletes. Aided by Pyeongchang, Thailand three years ago joined the growing number of Southeast Asian countries to compete internationally in bobsledding. Last year, Thai monobob athlete Agnese Campeol earned her country’s first medal at the Youth Olympic Games. Both men’s and women’s teams from Thailand are competing in the world championships this weekend in Lake Placid. The growth of the sport is exciting for Morgan to watch. “I’ve been in this sport my whole life,” Morgan said. “If you would’ve told me five years ago, eight years ago there could be teams from Thailand in the Lake Placid World Championship … I’m aghast.” LAKE PLACID — The Barkeater Trails Alliance annual meeting will be on Saturday, May 10, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the ... TUPPER LAKE — The Tupper Lake Town Board is set to hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. today at the town hall to ... Copyright © 2025 Adirondack Publishing Company | https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com | 54 Broadway, Saranac Lake, NY 12983 | 518-891-2600 PyeongChang's vision for the 2018 Games was to offer the Olympic Movement and the world of winter sports New Horizons—a legacy of new growth and new potential never seen before. Its Winter Games plan was one of the most compact in Olympic history. It offered a unique stage on which the world’s best athletes could achieve superior performances. With PyeongChang’s strategic position in Asia, and its access to a young and fast growing youth market, the 2018 Olympic Winter Games exposed new generations of potential athletes to the power of winter sport. Medal TableSee the list of teams and medals won by each. The MedalsBeginning as an olive wreath, medal designs have evolved over the years.Medals The MascotAn original image, it must give concrete form to the Olympic spirit.Mascot The TorchAn iconic part of any Olympic Games each host offers their unique version.Torch This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page By Virgilio NetoPolitically separated, the Koreas - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) - have competed in international competitions under different flags for years. However, there are rare occasions when the nations parade or even compete as a unified team under a common flag. The Koreas aren't the first set of countries to have done this. The once-divided East and West Germany competed together between 1952 and 1964. Egypt and Syria, as the United Arab Republic, competed at the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics. The Koreas first paraded together at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, but competed separately. They did this again in 2004 in Athens and 2006 in Turin, before finally making history at PyeongChang 2018. The Olympic Winter Games are just a TICKET away 🏂❄️🎿 Sign-up to get a reminder of when the next tickets go live and all the latest news of your favourite national Olympic teams and athletes trying to qualify A few months before the 2018 Winter Olympics were due to kick off in PyeongChang the political situation on the Korean peninsula was very tense with some questioning whether North Korean athletes would even participate at the Games The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was keen for North Korean athletes to participate at the 2018 Winter Olympics after years of dialogue between all parties concerned it was announced that athletes from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would indeed compete in PyeongChang more good news came: The Republic of Korea's women's national ice hockey team who had already qualified for the Olympic tournament as hosts would be amalgamated with three players from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to form a single Korea women's national ice hockey team This was the first time in Olympic history that both nations would compete as a unified team under one flag “There were moments of tension until the last moment member of the International Olympic Committee View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) who competed on the team as a member of the Republic of Korea recalls meeting her new teammates for the first time: "When we first met it felt like the first day of school." The team faced their fair share of challenges, even before a puck had been dropped. Though both Korea's share a similar language, the difference in dialect and accent is strong, meaning communication could sometimes prove to be challenging - not to mention the fact that the team was coached by American Sarah Murray the team was able to come together and work as a cohesive unit on the ice at the Games Picture by 2016 Kyodo NewsEven though Korea may have finished at the bottom of the standings in the women's ice hockey tournament at PyeongChang the team's mere presence captivated a global audience and engrossed a packed house at the Gangneung and Kwandong Hockey Centres who showered the squad with chants of "We are one!" whenever they took to the ice - proof that sport and the Olympics have the power to bring people from divided communities together "The UN General Assembly has already taken Olympic peace resolutions in the past but none of them in the Organization's history has been more important than this time former Secretary-General of the United Nations “Sporting events have a huge impact on public opinion and public opinion has a huge impact on politics so there can certainly be this connection and that something like that can change the hearts and minds of South Korean and that would also have an impact on geopolitics.” a member of the 2018 unified ice hockey team “It shows that we are people and that we can come together through ice hockey” the mascot of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games The white tiger has been long considered Korea’s guardian animal symbolises the protection offered to the athletes spectators and other participants of the 2018 Games “Rang” comes from the middle letter of “Ho-rang-i” and is also the last letter of “Jeong-seon A-ri-rang” a cherished traditional folk song of Gangwon Province Soohorang not only has a challenging spirit and passion but is also a trustworthy friend who protects the athletes spectators and all the participants of the Olympic Games (IOC)Olympic MascotsPyeongChang2018Discover the GamesThe BrandA visual identity is developed for each edition of the Olympic Games.Brand “A different kind of pushing for the time being” World Cup title and World Championship medal to her name the Briton is ready to focus on a new chapter of her life and shift full attention to being a mum having balanced it alongside skeleton for a year “I wanted to keep quite an open mind about whether I was going to return to the sport or not,” Deas tells Olympics.com upon her retirement aged 36 “I didn't know how I was going to feel about trying to balance motherhood and sport I've taken some time to think and just realised that my priorities have shifted a little bit “I feel at peace with the fact that I achieved pretty much everything I set out to do at the start of my career she acknowledges opening the opportunity up to Team GB’s other Olympic hopefuls while having gained a newfound appreciation for her career “I haven't necessarily planned this down to the last degree,” Deas explains We're about to embark on the final push of training for the athletes pre-Milano Cortina It's actually given me a new appreciation for the sport it would be strange if I had nothing to do with it anymore “I think it's inevitable that I'm going to get drawn back in in some way And I will of course be glued to the Olympics The Welshwoman began in skeleton through a British sports programme called ‘Girls for Gold’ where sports scientists aimed to identify apt sports for female athletes as the respective bronze and gold medallists became the first British Winter Olympians to share the podium in an individual event ExclusiveReplayWomen's Skeleton Final Run | PyeongChang 2018 | Great Winter Olympic MomentsWatch the greatest Winter Olympic Moments from the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games and join us for the Final Run Women's skeleton competition held at the held at the Alpensia Sliding Centre on 17 February 2018 Lizzy Yarnold sets a track record to clinch the gold for Great Britain Jacqueline Loelling gets the the Silver for Germany -first skeleton medal ever for Germany- and Laura Deas wins the Bronze for Great Britain “The sole reason that I started skeleton was to go to an Olympic Games to try and win a medal for my country,” Deas says “So it has been the beacon and the goal that's been driving and motivating me all these years.” There will of course be aspects that she misses She recalls the camaraderie of the Olympic team – and the competitiveness when it came to disc golf “Certain members of the team are just so competitive,” she chuckles Concluding on her legacy and reflecting of her athletic career Deas cannot help but be optimistic for what lies ahead “I just hope that she grows to enjoy sport in whatever capacity that is,” Deas says of her daughter “It's a great time for the Olympic Movement to have a female in charge There's so many things to be excited about going into the next Olympic Games It's a fantastic time for women in sport.” © IOC/Greg MartinWhat were your reasons for bidding to host the Winter Youth Olympic Games 2024? PyeongChang County had significantly raised the national prestige of the Republic of Korea by successfully hosting the Olympic Winter Games in 2018. Since then, there has been development in many aspects, including PyeongChang citizens' cultural awareness and PyeongChang's culture, tourism and environment. Therefore, Gangwon 2024, leveraging the legacy of the successful hosting in 2018, aimed to showcase PyeongChang again to the world. We aspire to make PyeongChang County the fastest-growing place in South Korea, and that's the reason we decided to bid for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games.Shim Jae-gukMayor of PyeongChang County during PyeongChang 2018 and Gangwon 2024What benefits do citizens receive from hosting events like the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 and now the Winter YOG Gangwon 2024? © IOC/Simon BrutyHow does hosting the Olympic Winter Games and Winter YOG align with PyeongChang's long-term socio-economic strategy and plans? What changes do you think have occurred in PyeongChang County and among its citizens after hosting two Olympic events? © Getty ImagesHaving been involved in the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, how will you remember the Winter YOG Gangwon 2024? As the Mayor of the host city for the successful 2018 Winter Olympics, and now the Winter YOG Gangwon 2024, I feel great pride and honour. I hope to further enhance the brand value of our sports venues, so that they not only host winter events and World Cups but also attract more summer sports, in order to develop PyeongChang further and elevate the national prestige and development of the Republic of Korea. I truly think of it as an honour. What message would you like to give to the mayors and citizens of other cities considering hosting the Winter and Summer Youth Olympic Games? Gangwon 2024 The Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 as a springboard to drive positive change across the host region and country Gangwon 2024 The long-term social and economic impacts of hosting the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 Gangwon 2024 Su-Sie “Susie” Jo: “Gangwon 2024 provided a platform for the next generation of athletes to learn and grow” Picture by PyeongChang 2018Guests and the media were given a close look at the victory ceremony host uniforms, the podium, the awards tray, and the gifts that will be presented to medallists. They also heard the music that will be played at each of the 103 Olympic and 80 Paralympic victory ceremonies, the first of which will take place at the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza on 10 February 2018. The ceremonies will be staged at the Medal Plaza in PyeongChang’s Olympic Plaza between 7pm and 9pm. Comprising skirts for women and trousers for men the uniforms that will be worn by the medal bearers and the athlete escorts each come with a hat and scarf and are designed to keep out the chill of the Korean winter the hat gives a modern twist to a traditional design Drawing on the Republic of Korea’s national flag for inspiration white and blue in colour and bear a snowflake pattern and characters from the Korean alphabet “I wanted to show the Republic of Korea’s identity and tried to bring a modern touch to our traditional wardrobe,” said the designer of the uniforms a professor of textile arts and fashion design at Hongik University in Seoul “It was important to create a wearer-friendly outfit.” a professor of installation art at Seoul National University of Science and Technology the podium on which the medallists will proudly stand also encapsulates Korean tradition and design White in colour to reflect snowflakes and the snow plains of PyeongChang the podium is inspired by traditional giwa roof tiles and dancheong a time-honoured form of painting seen on Korean wooden buildings the podium also provides wheelchair access medallists at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang will be given a doll of the Games mascot Soohorang wearing a gold silver or bronze hat and a paper flower known as an uhsahwa They will also receive a wooden gift adorned with mountain scenes of PyeongChang and characters from the Korean Hangul alphabet spelling out “PyeongChang” in the official Games motif Paralympic medal winners will be given a doll of their Games mascot The gifts will be presented from a special ceremony tray with a non-slip surface its simple design also features a traditional housing motif The victory ceremony theme music has been composed by Cho Young-soo who has written songs for well-known K-pop groups such as SG Wannabe and T-ara Medal winners at both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be recognised at the venue immediately after their competitions and then again at the PyeongChang Medal Plaza that evening as part of a wider cultural celebration Ticket holders for each day are invited to join in the evening celebrations and watch the world’s best winter sports athletes take their places on the podium with pride POCOG President Lee Hee-beom said the victory ceremonies will be a festival for athletes and fans alike: “We will strive to show the Republic of Korea’s unique culture and beauty to the world As well as being one of the most important moments in the lives of the athletes the ceremonies will also be a festival of culture for the fans “The unveiling of our venue and victory ceremony details today is another exciting step towards the start of the Games in February The design of all the elements we have presented today are unique to Korea They are a wonderful way of sharing yet more of our culture with the world will be cherished by all the medallists who receive them.” The pictograms are always a core part of the look and feel of each edition of an Olympic Games, and also a vital international “shorthand” for Olympic fans around the world. The design of the pictograms for PyeongChang is based on the Korean script or ‘Hangeul’ which was an alphabet developed in Korea in the 15th century and is still used today As well as providing fans with an insight into Korean culture the slanted and curved lines of the Hangeul characters have been used to create dynamic images that capture the movements of the athletes and seek to embody the Olympic spirit all of which are based on four consonants and three vowels from the Hangeul alphabet While there are 15 disciplines that feature on the Olympic Winter Games programme one for the ‘technical’ events and one for the ‘speed’ events while snowboard has no less than five different pictograms “The pictograms are an important element of the Olympic Games and there is always a level of excitement and anticipation around the design of these just as we saw with the official mascots,” explained POCOG President Lee Hee-beom “I believe our design team has got the perfect balance with our designs to make them easily identifiable while also having a local connection and Korean feel as we have integrated our unique alphabet into the pictograms,” added Lee FRA Martin FOURCADEBiathlon GER Tobias ARLTLuge GER Laura DAHLMEIERBiathlon GER Tobias WENDLLuge NOR Martin Johnsrud SUNDBYCross Country Skiing CAN Tessa VIRTUEFigure skating CAN Scott MOIRFigure skating AUT Marcel HIRSCHERAlpine Skiing NOR Marit BJOERGENCross Country Skiing Olympic Membership - Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now! 🥇 PyeongChang won in the first round of voting with 63 votes against Munich (25 votes) and Annecy (7 votes) IOC President Jacques Rogge congratulated the PyeongChang team for winning the vote and praised the high quality of their file and final presentation The IOC looks forward to collaborating with them over the next seven years.” Picture by PyeongChang 2018Superbly crafted works of art in their own right, they were created by the celebrated designer Lee Suk-woo, who incorporated Hangeul – the Korean alphabet and the foundation of Korean culture – into their design through a series of three-dimensional consonants. These consonants stretch across the face of the medals to the edge, where they come together to spell “Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang”. As a result, they create dynamic diagonal lines that reflect both the history of the Olympic Games and the determination of the competitors vying for a place on the podium. While the obverse of the medals shows the Olympic rings, the reverse features the name of the discipline and event, alongside the PyeongChang emblem. The ribbon from which the medal hangs is an equally important part of the design, and has been created using Gapsa, a traditional Korean fabric. The light teal and pale red ribbon is also embroidered with Hangeul patterns and other designs. The medals range in weight from 586 grams for the gold to 493 grams for the bronze. In total, 259 sets have been made for next year’s Winter Games. The medals were officially presented by the Republic of Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Do Jong-whan, and a number of other dignitaries and athletes, among them Song Suk-doo, the Vice-Governor of Gangwon Province, and Lee Hee-beom, the President of the PyeongChang Organising Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG). Speaking at the event, the POCOG President said: “The launch of the Olympic Winter Games medals today is a proud moment for us all, with less than five months to go until the first gold will be awarded. These wonderful medals perfectly encapsulate our culture, tradition and the Olympic values. We want the medal to be a symbol of the Republic of Korea and all the wonderful memories that the athletes will take home from their time here.” “I was very proud to be selected as the designer of these wonderful Olympic medals for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang,” said medal designer Lee Suk-woo. “To see them unveiled to the world today is a wonderful occasion. I have worked on many projects in my career, but this is particularly special as they represent my homeland, a celebration and a lifetime of hard work and dedication for all the athletes who will receive and cherish them.” The Seoul launch ran simultaneously with “PyeongChang at the Met: Celebrating the Olympic Winter Games for Peace”, a special event held at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and attended by the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, who is in the city for the United Nations General Assembly. President Moon has long expressed his steadfast commitment to the Olympic Games. He was appointed as an Honorary Ambassador on 24 July this year, and has been actively promoting PyeongChang since then. Attending the New York event was International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice-President Anita DeFrantz, who said: “Inspired by Korean culture, these unique and impressive medals will reward the performances of the world’s best Olympic winter athletes this coming February. Their unveiling makes the Games more real for the thousands of athletes who have been working towards the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang their entire lives. Today, the excitement will definitely have increased for them. “It is also another significant milestone on the journey to the Olympic Winter Games for the PyeongChang Organising Committee and for the people of the Republic of Korea. The promotion of Korean culture through these medals should be a moment of great pride, as the anticipation grows in the host nation towards an outstanding festival of winter sport and culture next February.” where to watchThe icy grooves of PyeongChang’s iconic Olympic track will host the 2024/25 IBSF Skeleton World Cup opener where the world’s best athletes collide in a thrilling start to the season Read on to discover the top stars to watch and the schedule of the competition. after a stellar 2023/24 season that saw him claim the World Cup title is eager to challenge Grotheer’s supremacy View this post on Instagram A post shared by IBSF | Bobsleigh | Skeleton (@ibsfsliding) and stay updated with results and reactions on the IBSF Facebook Picture by IOC/Jean ChungThe Olympic Torch was revealed at the Gangneung Ice Hockey Centre on Thursday by Yuna Kim, local icon and Olympic figure skating gold medallist, and Magnus Kim, who won the Republic of Korea’s first ever gold medal in the history of cross-country skiing at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, and five young local students, all of whom were adorned in the PyeongChang torchbearer uniform. Picture by IOC/Jean ChungThe torch is exactly 700mm in length The white and gold tones of the torch mirror the main colours of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Torch Relay while the five-pronged shape of the flame is based on the Korean symbol for PyeongChang which is also engraved around the bottom half and top of the torch The five-angled shape in the middle of the uniform cap is meant to represent the spirit of sports IOC Coordination Commission Chair Gunilla Lindberg commented: “I would like to congratulate POCOG on their beautiful Olympic Torch and torchbearer uniforms which will play a major role in bringing the excitement of the Games to the whole of the Republic of Korea next winter The Olympic Torch Relay is unique in its ability to unite people and to transmit the Olympic values I am confident that a new generation of Koreans will embrace the Olympic Torch Relay as happened ahead of the Olympic Games Seoul 1988 and that the world will appreciate this important symbol of Korean design.” The torch was designed by Korean designer Young Se Kim,who set out to create something that would inspire happiness in all those who behold it It has been designed so that the flame will continue to burn in all weather conditions and that will withstand the strong winds and heavy snowfall that can be expected in the Republic of Korea an air-tunnel is created which provides more oxygen which in turn will keep the flame lit throughout the Torch Relay There is also a pentagon shaped hole in the bottom of the torch so that any water can drain to the bottom of the torch ensuring that the flame continues to burn in rainy conditions The uniform is designed to be comfortable and practical for the torchbearers whatever the weather conditions The back and sleeves are made of water-repellent fabric while the front and shoulders are completely waterproof Hybrid material was used for the jacket fillings to keep the torchbearers warm in the cold “Unveiling the Olympic Torch at the PyeongChang One-Year-to-Go Ceremony represents the start of a countdown to a remarkable celebration,” said POCOG President Lee Hee-beom “With its beautiful design and technical features the PyeongChang Olympic Torch will become a symbol of excitement and inspiration of the Olympic Games The Olympic Torch Relay will bring the spotlight to PyeongChang sparking passion to connect the world together.” The free dance was held at the Gangneung Ice Arena on 19 February 2018 Highlights01:16Thomas Bach previews the Olympic Village | PyeongChang 2018 Highlights Highlights02:25 Get ready for PyeongChang Milano Cortina 2026 TicketsEarly bird pricing ends on May 6th Secure your spot now for an experience of lifetime at the Winter Olympic Games in the magical Italy the Italian snowboarder overcame a serious knee injury to finally claim gold at PyeongChang 2018 the lighting ceremony for the Olympic flame will signal the start of the countdown towards the next edition of the Games Be part of this historic moment and follow the ceremony live here on Olympic.org on Tuesday at 11.00 CET a torch at the ancient temple of Hera will be lit by the rays of the sun using a parabolic mirror The lighting ceremony will start at 12 noon local time with actress Katerina Lehou as High Priestess and Artemis Ignatiou as the choreographer “It is a great honour for me to be chosen as the first torchbearer for the Olympic Winter Games of 2018 It is truly a unique moment that I am looking forward to I feel very proud and with a unique sense of happiness,” says Angelis Park Ji-Sung has been in the past a star player for Some 505 torchbearers will participate and 36 welcome ceremonies will be held in 20 municipalities over the eight days The ceremony to handover the flame to the PyeongChang Organising Committee will be held at the Panathenaic Stadium on 31 October at 11 a.m Then the flame will make its way 8,500km east arriving on 1 November to coincide with 100 days to go until the start of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang Thereafter the Olympic Torch Relay will see the flame embark on a tour of the entire host country taking in nine provinces and eight major cities before it finally arrives at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium in time for the Opening Ceremony on 9 February 2018 The lighting ceremony is one of the most powerful rituals in the Olympic cycle Taking place as it does against the backdrop of Olympia it perhaps serves more than any other tradition to connect the modern Games with their ancient origins and like the messengers who proclaimed the sacred Olympic truce the runners who carry the Olympic flame will carry a message of peace on their journey Next week’s lighting ceremony will signal the start of that journey to bring the world together for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang Picture by Getty Images 14 November 2024 16:34 GMT+04 min readThe first International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) World Cup races in men’s and women’s skeleton will take place in PyeongChang on 16 and 17 November. The races will feature 32 men and 36 women from 24 nations and all continents. Among the elite field of competitors are Olympic medallists, world champions and World Cup winners, meaning we should be in for another exciting season of skeleton racing. Olympics.com profiles the top five skeleton athletes to watch for this weekend's races in the Republic of Korea. Christopher Grotheer is unquestionably the top men's skeleton racer in the world at the moment He currently leads the Asian Cup standings by 40 points after winning the first two races of the meet with the final two events scheduled for 14 and 15 November and it's worth tuning in to the World Cup just to watch an athlete of Grotheer's calibre perform earning the title of Germany's first female Olympic skeleton gold medallist What made Neise's win all the more impressive is that she fought back from 8th place after her first run to win the event - a rarity in a sport where a slow start typically puts an athlete outside of medal contention Neise won bronze at the 2024 World Championships earlier this year though she did collect gold alongside Grotheer in the mixed team event Earlier in February she won silver in the European Championships behind Kim Meylemans of Belgium She's currently in 9th place after two races in the Asian Cup Neise has the championship-winning calibre that makes her worthy of watching for the World Cup this entire season View this post on Instagram A post shared by Matt Weston OLY | GBR SKELETON (@matt_weston_skeleton) The 27-year-old finished in 15th on his Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 but has since gone on to rack up the hardware winning the 2023 World and European championships and earning silver in both events at the 2024 editions He's also the defending IBSF World Cup champion following a phenomenal 2023/24 campaign where he finished in the top 3 in four of the eight races The 28-year-old became the first Belgian skeleton European champion and first Belgian skeleton world championships medal winner in February this year, taking silver in the latter behind Hallie Clarke of Canada. View this post on Instagram A post shared by IBSF | Bobsleigh | Skeleton (@ibsfsliding) but the Belgian has improved drastically since then and is just behind Nicole Rocha Silveira (her girlfriend no less!) in the 2024 Asian Cup after two races Expect big things from Meylemans over the next 16 months Kimberley Bos is another history maker in the sport of skeleton becoming the first Dutch skeleton athlete to win an Olympic medal That medal followed on from a fantastic 2021/22 season in which Bos won European gold and the World Cup title Picture by 2022 Getty ImagesKimberley Bos of Team Netherlands She followed that up with silver at the 2023 World Championships and 2022/23 World Cup before earning her second World Cup title in the 2023/24 campaign At 31 Bos is a veteran racer with a stacked trophy cabinet but will surely be looking for more golds at the World Cup this season and the Milano Cortina Games in 2026 the PyeongChang Organising Committee chose an animal closely associated with Korean mythology and culture The tiger has been a familiar figure in Korean folk tales as a symbol of trust the white tiger was viewed as a guardian that helped protect the country and its people The mascot’s colour also evokes its connection to the snow and ice of winter sports The name “Soohorang” has additional significance “Rang” derives from the Korean word “ho-rang-i” “Rang” also appears in “Jeongseon Arirang” the traditional folk music of Gangwon Province the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang It also symbolises the close link between the Olympic Winter Games and the natural environment I’m sure the new mascot will be very popular with Koreans and people around the world.” The mascot selection had been a closely held secret until its approval by the IOC Executive Board PyeongChang will formally introduce the mascot at events in Seoul and PyeongChang in July before its international debut at the 2018 PyeongChang House at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 in August The 1988 Seoul Games also featured a tiger mascot – “Hodori” an orange Amur tiger who prevailed over a rabbit a squirrel and a pair of mandarin ducks in a public competition They serve as popular and playful ambassadors for the host nation and contribute to the festive Games atmosphere Picture by 2018 Getty ImagesGoing into the final end the match was still in the balance, with the Japanese leading 4-3, but with Eve Muirhead, the British skip, holding the “hammer”. Muirhead misplaced her final stone as she gambled for two points that would have secured bronze Instead it left the Japanese to claim an extra point tactical affair from start to finish with neither rink putting up more than one point per end so ultimately Muirhead’s error in the 10th proved crucial “As a skip it is hard to take when you have a shot to win Curling comes down to inches and if that had curled another centimetre we would have had the bronze medal around our necks.” The 2024 Olympic Games are currently unfolding in Paris Long time Peloton members may recall that Peloton was involved in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang South Korea – holding four special classes taught by Robin Arzón – as an advertising and promotional partner The classes were the first ever internationally filmed classes for Peloton – which had not yet opened their London studios at the time – and were executed in coordination with NBC Olympics coverage All four classes were rides taught by Robin with former Olympic athletes and NBC talent riding live in the studio from the NBC Olympics broadcast center Unfortunately the classes are no longer available in the on-demand library The classes took place over four days: February 16-19 each occurring live at 6:00am ET (which was the evening in South Korea) There were two 45 minute classes and two 30 minute classes Each class was appropriately titled “Pyeongchang Ride.” The classes were a celebration of the Olympic games encouraging members to draw inspiration and motivation from the lifelong work of incredible athletes Robin also shared special behind-the-scenes content throughout the games Though Peloton is no longer an official partner of the Olympics, there are still numerous connections to the games. Instructor Becs Gentry will be commentating at the Paris Olympics with the NBC Olympics team; and instructor Alex Karwoski competed in the Olympic trials for rowing earlier this year He competed in 2016 in Rio De Janeiro and as an alternate in 2020 in Tokyo A Peloton employee also won a gold medal this year in rowing Do you remember Peloton’s 2018 rides from Pyeongchang during the Winter Olympics Support the site! Enjoy the news & guides we provide? Help us keep bringing you the news. Pelo Buddy is completely free, but you can help support the site with a one-time or monthly donation that will go to our writers, editors, and more. Find out more details here Get Our Newsletter Want to be sure to never miss any Peloton news? Sign up for our newsletter and get all the latest Peloton updates & Peloton rumors sent directly to your inbox Get our newsletter and stay up-to-date with all the Peloton news you need to know Subscribe Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Pelo Buddy is in no way affiliated with Peloton Cycle or Peloton Interactive Peloton is a registered trademark of Peloton Interactive Some links on the site are affiliate links As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases A guesthouse is engulfed in flames on March 1 in Pyeongchang A woman takes a photo of herself with a relief sculpted from snow at the 31st Daegwallyeong Snow Festival in Pyeongchang Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the Games are helping more young people in the Republic of Korea to get involved in winter sports The two 2018 Olympic clusters – PyeongChang and Gangneung – have become vital winter sports hubs for the region and beyond PyeongChang 2018 set out on its Olympic journey with a clear vision: to open up “New Horizons” in sport by bringing sport to a new generation of winter athletes Combined with a strategic position in Asia as well as access to a young and fast-growing youth market this vision quickly became a centrepiece of the Games’ long-term legacy The Games brought together more than 2,800 athletes from 92 National Olympic Committees in peaceful competition including a record number of 1,169 female athletes athletes from both Koreas entered the Olympic Stadium together while a Unified Korean Olympic Team competed in the women’s ice hockey competition © IOCOver a quarter of the world’s population tuned in to follow the PyeongChang 2018 broadcast making them the most viewed Olympic Winter Games at the time Audiences were able to witness Norwegian cross-country skiing star Marit Bjørgen win five medals at those Games which took her total Olympic tally to 15 medals this made Bjørgen the third most successful Olympian of all time behind swimmer Michael Phelps and gymnast Larisa Latynina “It’s incredible when I look back and see what I’ve done,” Bjørgen said after her impressive 30km win “These are my last Games and to finish off like this is just fantastic.” blew away the rest of the field to win the women’s snowboard halfpipe gold medal at the Phoenix Snow Park; while Germany and Canada shared the gold medal after clocking exactly the same overall time in the two-man bobsleigh Commentators described the excitement at this event as “nothing short of unreal” won two gold medals at her first Olympic Games She is still widely regarded as one of the best female Korean short track speed skaters of all time Youth sport participation was at the heart of this legacy, and it is still growing in strength today. Building on the experience of the Soohorang and Bandabi Sports camp, the Gangwon 2024 Sports Camps were inaugurated in 2022, targeting Korean youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds who would otherwise have little opportunity to try winter sports. Over the course of five days, camp participants get daily ski lessons, visit Olympic venues and learn about the Olympic values. Young people from other countries have also been offered an opportunity to discover winter sports in PyeongChang, through the New Horizons Academy. Named after the Games’ vision of expanding new horizons of sport, the Academy seeks to facilitate the emergence of new winter sport nations. “Back in 2011, when we bid for the Games, we made a promise to create New Horizons in winter sport,” said Arram Kim of the Pyeongchang 2018 Legacy Foundation who was Education Project Manager at the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee. “We promised to help countries develop their winter sport programmes by letting them use Olympic facilities and sharing our coaching know-how. We are keeping the promise we made 12 years ago, with a programme named New Horizons Academy.” Having hosted the Olympic Winter Games once, PyeongChang and Gangneung, both in the Gangwon Province, are also well-equipped to host the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2024. Most of the events will be held in venues that were built for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Out of the 12 competition venues from the PyeongChang 2018 Games, 11 are still in use all year-round, and 7 will be used for Gangwon 2024. Outdoor mountain events such as ski jumping, Nordic combined, biathlon, cross-country skiing, and sliding sports such as luge, bobsleigh and skeleton will be hosted at the Alpensia Sports Park in PyeongChang. The indoor ice events such as hockey, curling, speed skating and figure skating will take place in nearby Gangneung Olympic Park. The Gangneung Ice Arena, which had a capacity of 12,000, underwent renovation work after the Games and reopened as a multi-sports facility for the public. Both Olympic Villages, located in PyeongChang and Gangneung, have been transformed into residential areas, providing housing for thousands of people. Olympic LegacyOlympic legacy includes the long-term benefits that the Olympic Games create for the host city, its people, and the Olympic Movement before, during and long after the Olympic Games. Find out more about our strategic approach to Olympic legacy! Over 125 years of Olympic venues: post-Games useThe report is the first-ever official inventory of the post-Games use of Olympic venues. It tracks the status of 817 permanent and 106 temporary venues, at 51 summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games, from Athens 1896 to PyeongChang 2018. The report has been assured by third party KPMG, according to the audit standard ISAE 3000. PyeongChang 2018 PyeongChang 2018 continues its legacy of expanding winter sport in Asia IOC News 25 years on, Nagano Games prove their longevity Beijing 2022 Beijing 2022: A year on, Chinese people enjoy winter sports, reaping social and economic benefits created by the Olympic Winter Games has announced that his organisation has achieved a surplus of at least USD 55 million This announcement was made during Lee’s final report to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Buenos Aires “We congratulate the Organising Committee of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 for the organisation of outstanding Olympic Winter Games which were extremely successful in all respects In recognition of these great achievements the IOC will contribute its share of the surplus for the benefit of sport in Korea,” IOC President Thomas Bach said Any surplus from the organisation of the Games is normally divided between the IOC the Organising Committee and the host National Olympic Committee for the benefit of sport and the Olympic Movement POCOG is yet another example of Organising Committees breaking even or creating a surplus that can be used for the development of sport in the host nation Its ability to create a surplus was assisted by the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 and the philosophy behind its New Norm Despite the fact that POCOG was already well into its preparations when Olympic Agenda 2020 was approved by working with the IOC in a spirit of partnership the Korean organisers were able to benefit from cost-reducing or revenue-increasing measures such as the first turnkey solution delivered by the IOC to a Games organiser with the Olympic Information Service; 30,000 accredited seats being given back for public sale; no secondary “mountain” International Broadcast Centre (IBC) a 30 per cent smaller IBC; and a Main Press Centre that was moved to an existing structure all while preserving the athlete and spectator experience Showing that the IOC has truly turned the page the impact of Olympic Agenda 2020/New Norm just been felt not just in the Republic of Korea but across all of the future Olympic Games host cities both Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto and IOC Coordination Commission Chair John Coates spoke about how Olympic Agenda 2020/New Norm has now allowed Tokyo 2020 and its delivery partners to save USD 4.3 billion – USD 2.2 billion saved during the review of the venue masterplan and an additional USD 2.1 billion since the introduction of the New Norm at the IOC Session in PyeongChang earlier this year The next Olympic Winter Games after PyeongChang will be held in Beijing and IOC Coordination Commission Chair Juan Antonio Samaranch described Beijing 2022 as achieving extraordinary milestones at an incredible speed Beyond the legacy objective of bringing 300 million people to winter sport and its record-breaking marketing programme Beijing 2022 has embraced Olympic Agenda 2020/New Norm by adopting this new way of working for example by working more closely with the International Federations on venue and sport delivery or delivering only venues that fit into the long-term development plan of the region which was approved by the IOC Executive Board last week and the support of the National Olympic Committees in ensuring the delivery of an optimised Olympic Village that will leave a great legacy for the local population Coordination Commission Chair Patrick Baumann explained that the co-construction of LA’s Games was well underway with the IOC and that the tripartite agreement between the IOC Paris 2024 and LA was already creating good opportunities to exchange ideas and look at synergies to define and implement a new model for Games delivery Baumann also explained that LA had been granted the right to invest up to USD 160 million in youth sports in the years leading up to the Games and that work was now underway with the City of Los Angeles and other key partners to identify the best mechanism of using these funds LA 2028 will enter its operational phase only in a few years’ time The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers which is committed to building a better world through sport It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world The IOC Newsroom: http://iocnewsroom.com/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia For an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org For up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. PyeongChang 2018 South Korean President receives Olympic Order from President Bach - leaders discuss success of PyeongChang 2018 and future cooperation PyeongChang 2018 Olympic stakeholders praise PyeongChang 2018 Debrief But the legacy of PyeongChang 2018 is much more than that Thanks to the projects of the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation (PLF) students and young athletes from several countries have been introduced to winter sports with 39 of them qualifying for the YOG and two of them winning medals at Gangwon 2024 The Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 are the perfect example of how you are carrying this legacy to the future,” said the IOC President during the 6th anniversary ceremony for PyeongChang 2018 He went on: “By spreading this Olympic spirit that was shining so brightly in PyeongChang to a new generation of athletes you are continuing to open new horizons for thousands of young people around the world many of these young athletes have gone far and beyond a first introduction to snow and ice sports in the world-class legacy venues of PyeongChang and Gangwon province.” Thank you for giving this new generation of athletes the perfect stage to shine always count on the IOC as a partner by your side to promote our shared Olympic peace mission.Thomas BachIOC PresidentThe celebration was held in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Museum at which the IOC President cut a birthday cake with the Vice Governor of Gangwon and three Korean medallists from Gangwon 2024: Jae-hwan So (gold medal in men's monobob) Shin-ee Yun (silver medal in mixed team dual mogul) and Yeonsu Shin (bronze medal in men's skeleton) Also in attendance at the event were the Olympic ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani (USA) The museum is housed in the venue that hosted the Opening and Closing Ceremonies in 2018 it welcomed 35,000 visitors in the first year despite the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions it has grown even more and now hosts more than 50,000 visitors a year “This is the place where hopes and dreams of PyeongChang 2018 started,” said IOC Member Seung-min Ryu who chairs the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation “We all remember the passion and commitment of the athletes members of the Organising Committee and the Olympic family the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation was established to continue to build on the legacy of PyeongChang 2018.” “Gangwon 2024 is a great stage to show our efforts and spread the message of the importance of the Olympic legacy It has been a festival that captured the hearts of athletes and fans.” Thirty-nine of the participants of the PLF projects qualified for the YOG with two medals won at Gangwon 2024 by two athletes from developing winter sports nations: Agnese Campeol (Thailand) who won a silver medal in the women’s monobob who clinched a silver medal in the men’s monobob I felt like I was a parent,” revealed Arram Kim Head of Education and Youth Engagement at the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation in an interview with Olympics.com “I felt like my son and daughter won a medal There's 50 per cent of Korea in each of the two medals.” who won Thailand’s first medal in a Winter Olympic event explained: “I didn’t know what bobsleigh was about at all so the PyeongChang Legacy Foundation is really “Sometimes we train in Bangkok – we do sprint training weightlifting – but we don’t have a sliding track so we come to [the Republic of] Korea to train Campeol, just like the two athletes she shared the podium with – Danish gold medallist Maja Voigt and Romanian bronze medallist Mihaela Anton – had also benefited from Olympic Solidarity’s Youth Athlete Development Programme which funded a series of development camps hosted by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation Tunisia had never even been represented at an Olympic Winter Games before but sent three bobsledders to Gangwon 2024 after each attended the New Horizons Academy Just 24 hours after Campeol’s history-making run the North African country’s Jonathan Lourimi won a stunning silver medal in the men’s monobob I never thought this would happen when I started with bobsleigh,” he said afterwards © OIS/IOC“This programme funded everything it wouldn’t be possible to be standing here today “Not only has this programme helped me develop as an athlete I’ve been able to make a lot of new friends from all over the world.” New Horizons athletes shining at Gangwon 2024 we needed to open our venues to the youth,” explained Arram we couldn’t just keep our venues for Korean athletes They had to be open to all athletes from all over the world And that's the concept that drives the legacy of PyeongChang 2018: our facilities are open to anybody and everybody.” Campeol and Lourimi were among the participants of the New Horizon Academy. Established in 2021 by the PLF, it invites athletes from developing winter sports countries to attend training camps under the guidance of expert coaches, some of whom competed for the Republic of Korea at PyeongChang 2018, while participating in cultural and educational initiatives. “We invited in Korea 100 athletes from Africa, South America and Southeast Asia. They came for two weeks and tried several winter sports,” said Arram. “We gathered a whole bunch of data and analysed them with Korean coaches, designating each athlete to a specific winter sport based on their performance.” In total, 25 athletes from nine National Olympic Committees and five sports competed at Gangwon 2024 after attending the camps. “The Dream Programme has been one of the most successful programmes that the PyeongChang 2018 Games started, as the whole concept was to create new winter sporting nations,” said Arram. First launched in 2004 and then took over by the PLF after PyeongChang 2018, the Dream Programme is designed for young people aged 13 to 23 from countries lacking in winter sport opportunities or infrastructure. They are invited to South Korea and can experience winter sports and Korean culture. So far, the annual programme has hosted over 2,500 young people from 97 countries. Over 150 participants have gone on to compete in international competitions, and 14 of these athletes are competing at Gangwon 2024. © IOC/Nyein Su WeiIntroducing Korean students to winter sports Arram proposed creating camps for children from across Korea and encouraged them to try the various sports in a safe manner, while contributing at the same time to the local tourism and economy. “Since 2020, we've had over 35,000 students aged 10 to 18 try sports in the Olympic venues, learn about Olympic and Paralympic values and do cultural experiences. They visit the venues over a three-day camp, trying two different sports a day and having the chance to meet retired Korean athletes. The programme’s objective is not to create elite athletes, but to give them a taste of winter sport”. These camps also demonstrate the positive role of sports for young students and in society at large: “I'm a strong believer that playing sport can make you a more positive and a better human being,” concludes Arram. Gangwon 2024 Gangwon 2024 volunteers thanked by IOC President Gangwon 2024 Making the right decision – YOG athletes learn about competition manipulation risks IOC Young Leaders IOC Young Leaders sharing the positive power of sport in society with athletes and local youth at Gangwon 2024 Gangwon 2024 Gangwon 2024 opens up new horizons for young Asian journalists achieving a number of significant milestones The Games enjoyed unprecedented geographical reach in terms of both participation and coverage; offered a more diverse sporting programme than ever before; and served as a bridgehead for peace and cooperation With gender parity one of the IOC’s overarching goals, PyeongChang 2018 took a significant step forward in this regard, with a record female participation of 41.3 per cent of the total of 2,833 athletes. There was also a record number of events – 102, four more than the previous record of 98 set at Sochi 2014. The number of NOCs participating was also a new record for the Olympic Winter Games. Athletes from a total of 91 countries (as well as an Olympic Athlete from Russia delegation) competed, which was up from 88 at Sochi 2014. Underlining the IOC’s continued commitment to expanding the global reach of winter sports, six new NOCs from four continents took part (Ecuador, Eritrea, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria and Singapore). Perhaps most notable of all was the fact that the Games served as a bridgehead for unity between the host nation and its neighbours from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In a celebration of unity and the Olympic spirit at the Opening Ceremony, athletes from the two countries marched side by side. Further epitomising the spirit of friendship, a unified Korean women’s ice hockey team brought together 35 players from both sides of the border to compete as one for the first time in Olympic history, in what the IOC President Thomas Bach hailed as “a very important powerful message that transcends sport”. In terms of sporting success, no fewer than 25 new Olympic records were set, along with three world records. Among the notable sporting highlights and individual achievements, the Czech Republic’s Ester Ledecká became the first athlete to win gold in both Alpine skiing and snowboarding at the same Olympic Winter Games. Meanwhile, Norway’s cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen won five medals in PyeongChang to take her career total to 15 – more than any other athlete in history. These were also Games that saw the emergence of a dazzling generation of new stars, not least an array of former Youth Olympic Games (YOG) athletes, who won 29 medals between them. In total, there were more than 230 YOG “graduates” competing in PyeongChang, including the USA’s Chloe Kim, who became the youngest female snowboarder gold medallist in Olympic history, and German ski jumper Andreas Wellinger, who soared his way to a gold and two silver medals PyeongChang 2018 was also a resounding success in terms of media coverage, with unprecedented global reach and greater-than-ever embracing of the digital era. No less than 28 per cent of the world’s population watched the Games across a variety of platforms. There was huge growth in the amount of digital coverage available on websites, apps and social media channels, totalling 97,041 hours – 62 per cent more than had been available for Sochi 2014. The positive response from viewers to this increased digital coverage helped make PyeongChang 2018 the most digitally viewed Olympic Winter Games ever, with 670 million global online users viewing digital broadcast coverage – 120 per cent more than watched Sochi 2014. In total, there were 3.2 billion video views on digital platforms – more than double the number of digital video views recorded during Sochi 2014, and over nine times those of Vancouver 2010. PyeongChang 2018 was also the biggest Olympic Winter Games ever on social media platforms, with official content consumed by 300 million users, resulting in over 1.6 billion video views. PyeongChang 2018 Legacy initiatives helping to transform the urban landscape in Gangwon Province PyeongChang 2018 One year on, legacy vision for PyeongChang 2018 venues is taking shape PyeongChang 2018 PyeongChang 2018 announces surplus of at least USD 55 million Games organisers are also focused on strengthening the local economy the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG) launched the Olympic Education Programme as part of a new partnership with the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Education The educational initiative has enabled school children throughout the country to gain exposure to winter sports while also experiencing the triumph of the human spirit through the exploration of the Olympic values The goal is to build a new stage for winter sports for the younger generation in Asia enthusiasm and participation in a wider range of sports the Olympic Education Programme directly reached 1.3 million people Meanwhile, a similar initiative called the Gangwon Province Dream Programme enabled 1,919 school-aged children from 83 countries Dream Programme students travelled to the province from Africa Malaysian figure skating athlete Julian Yee who carried the flag of Malaysia during the PyeongChang Opening Ceremony participated in one of the first editions of the programme in 2009 Workforce development education is also a priority at these Games with a training pool of more than 22,000 experienced volunteers now prepared to serve at future local events Training sessions were provided to employees at area hotels and restaurants encouraging the continued development of professional skills Demonstrating the Olympic Movement's commitment to hosting an Olympic Games that benefits the long-term development of the host city region the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee is carrying out several measures to enhance the environmental economic and societal impact of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games Each action, as shared in a sustainability report ahead of the Games — which reinforces the mission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to establish sport as an agent for positive change — is designed to benefit both humanity and the environment across several areas They include: reducing greenhouse gas emissions; embracing renewable energy; building sustainable venues; using an environmentally-friendly transport infrastructure; and conserving biodiversity and restoring nature "The facilities, including the newly built stadiums, took sustainability into consideration from their construction, to their operations and post-Games usage…" said Balazs Horvath Director of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Seoul Policy Centre "We can hold hope for the sustainable development of PyeongChang if the newly created jobs are maintained waste minimised and damaged forests in parts of Jeongseon area are restored." © IOCHere is a closer look at some of the other legacies the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 are bringing about: In addition to spearheading initiatives to ensure biodiversity and ecological balance in the areas the Games are held has taken steps to reduce the environmental impact of the Games Adding to its reduced carbon footprint drive six newly built Olympic competition venues received green building certification POCOG also designed a recycling infrastructure that is used across Games locations Doing their part to reduce the Games' carbon footprint operational staff members are driving several electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles for the duration of the Games With an eye on encouraging electric car adoption permanent electric vehicle recharging stations were installed for community use even after the close of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 Eight of the venues will be used as winter sports facilities following the Games helping to position the region as an Asian winter sports hub for decades to come despite legacies being identified in the candidature and different options being presented over the past seven years the definitive legacy use is still outstanding for three venues A taskforce has been created to address the use of these facilities The IOC has requested that the final plans be presented as a priority and will continue to work with PyeongChang to ensure legacy plans are fulfilled Apartments at both the PyeongChang and Gangneung Olympic Villages with all the apartments already sold for residential use after the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games a new high-speed train that serves as an additional transport option for those who came from Seoul for the Games in under two hours will also connect Seoul to the Alpensia mountain region and Gangneung coastal areas for decades to come To learn more about the sustainability efforts surrounding the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, please explore the PyeongChang Sustainability Performance Index. Legacy Ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the legacy of Nagano 1998 lives on Legacy Tokyo 2020 to pioneer new legacy report Legacy Grenoble 1968: 50 years later, still a source of inspiration The Winter Olympics closes the door on the Pyeongchang 2018 Games with a big party and a last farewell from the 2,920 athletes who competed on ice and snow in South Korea The number of athletes set a new record; so did the number of nations — 92 – represented Pyeongchang organizers promised that the Olympic Stadium will be "filled with the roar of compliments and the applause of friendship." It began with a segment called "Countdown: Dream for Tomorrow," featuring performers paying tribute to the athletes Even as it celebrates the achievements of the past three weeks the ceremony also looks ahead to Japan — Tokyo is slated to host the Summer Olympics in 2020 — and to China Beijing will become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games the order of entry is the same as in the opening ceremony Visiting delegations are ordered according to the alphabet of the host nation Team USA follows countries whose names begin with "M" — so, after Malta and Mongolia – and before the Bs, such as Bermuda and Belgium. Cross-country skier Jessie Diggins is the U.S Children perform on roller blades at the beginning of the closing ceremony for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics It all starts with a montage of the achievements and notable moments of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang the Korean national flag and anthem are presented followed by a six-minute meditation and celebration of hallyu — the "Korean Wave" that represents the country's progress on the international economic and cultural scene in recent decades plays a variation on "Winter" from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons "On the sloped stage reflecting the image of a guitar loop dancers perform a mesmerizing dance that defies gravity Geomungo players perform together with the band Jambinai Korean dancers present a modern interpretation of a traditional dance while a solo dancer performs Spring Dance of Nightingale." vice chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party Central Committee (back right) watches the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics with South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) which leads to "The Light of Harmony and Solidarity: The lighting of the Prayer Pagoda unites everyone in the spirit of harmony and solidarity." This section of the ceremony features a unique musical instrument called the geomungo "The round front plate of the instrument represents the sky and the flat bottom part represents the earth; the instrument's five Notes — gung It has been traditionally played from a sitting position but now it can be played from a standing position Made of paulownia wood with twisted silk strings the geomungo used in the Closing Ceremony are also carved with the traditional arabesque design." the Parade of Nations celebrates the athletes who competed and tried to live their dreams over the past 17 days athletes Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy parade with other delegations during the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games The oldest athlete at these Olympics: Canadian curler Cheryl Bernard The youngest: Chinese halfpipe skier Wu Meng the ceremony continues a tradition that started at the Rio 2016 Games of providing a moment for everyone present to remember those who cannot join us called "A Journey to Remember," there are three sections: "Turtle and Kkoktu: Along with kkoktu puppets the Turtle embarks on a journey across life and death With the Turtle in the middle of the procession the kkoktu puppets holding dandelions enter first and they are followed by the dancing kkoktu puppets "The Time Tunnel: The Turtle journeys through the Time Tunnel "Eternal Remembrance: The kkoktu puppets dance and bid farewell to the Turtle who is on his way to the heavens announces new members of the International Olympic Committee athletes' commission and recognizes volunteers Medals are presented for the men's and women's mass start cross country ski races in which Iivo Niskanen of Finland and Marit Bjoergen of Norway accepted gold We can't explain it better than the ceremony guide although we could quibble with the second point: Entertainers perform during the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Game "The singer CL enters the stage singing her song representing passion and the venturing spirit She also sings 2NE1's hit song 'I Am the Best' to convey the message that everyone is a winner." This is part of the tradition of retracting the Olympic spirit from one host and extending it to another (or at least the Olympic flag is lowered and the Olympic anthem is performed It's traditional for the host cities to focus on the next edition of the games they just held A view of the start of the closing ceremony at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics Beijing's section of the program includes some reminders that China has pandas The video montage ends with Chinese President Xi Jinping issuing a message of warm welcome Then graphics in the stadium show Olympics past — and everything is assembled into an invitation to come to China the president and CEO of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee It's been fascinating to watch the way South Korea and North Korea have interacted in the cause of the Pyeongchang Games from the visit of Kim Yo Jong to cheer squads and athletes and staff Bach takes a break to pose for one of the most improbable photo ops ever: alongside a North Korean the Tongan Olympian Pita Taufatofua (shirtless Bach then declares the Winter Games "closed." He adds Not all of these North-South interactions have taken place only at a high level: We spoke to a South Korean police officer last night who was very excited because she got the chance to speak with North Korean people visiting Pyeongchang She described them as very polite and nice to talk to The band EXO was listed to perform earlier in the program; not sure if it's a printing error or a schedule change but they're here now and doing their thing Building on a traditional gong and an electronic drum EXO's Kai sings against a backdrop of drawings by the artist Seonglip The rest of EXO "appear riding on four-wheelers and singing their song 'Growl' with 43 dancers" — as you do Fireworks light up the night sky outside the closing ceremony they do "Power," with its eponymous refrain If you're curious: "Chrome-plated four-wheelers equipped with searchlights represent the future of K-pop as the genre lights a way for the world." there is a segment in the ceremony titled "Farewell from a Snowflake." Internet As part of a gift from Pyeongchang, 10 Soohorang white tiger mascots follow a large present that's escorted by a snowmobile (yes too: "The surface is decorated with embossed carvings of traditional patterns and each edge is also decorated with the traditional accessory called norigae." Then we see the return of the five children from the opening ceremony: When the children open the present The organizers capitalized it: "Snow Globe" — an obvious ploy to get everyone on board with this imagery we find it unsettling to see multiple iterations of Soohorang all over the place We enjoy being convinced of the Olympic mascot's mythic and unique status is lit: 400 performers come in holding LED balls in their hands followed by giant balloons that refer to the globe In case you're starting to understand things there are also balloons that resemble Winter Olympics athletes None of this is quite as restful and calm as we had imagined in reading it The 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium "With the EDM thumping under the brightly lit sky joined by all the athletes for the finale of the ceremony and the performers present the LED balls to the athletes Raiden re-enters as DJ and continues the final segment of the closing." The athletes get out on the floor and dance the athletes leave the stadium and say "Annyeong" to the Pyeongchang Winter Games Become an NPR sponsor Cross Country Skiing and Alpine Skiing – and in a Unified Women’s Hockey Team Under the “Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration” the IOC will grant accreditations to the NOC of the DPRK for 22 athletes in 3 sports and 5 disciplines Read the full declaration here Following the meeting between the IOC and delegations from the NOC of the DPRK, the NOC of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee at the IOC headquarters today, President Bach presented the decisions of the “Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration”. The Declaration was signed by all four parties attending the meetings President Bach was joined by the President of the NOC of the ROK Do Jong-hwan; the President of the NOC of the DPRK and Minister of Sport © IOC/Greg MartinWith the “Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration” the IOC has taken the following exceptional decisions: The IOC will grant accreditations to the NOC of the DPRK for 22 athletes Unified Women’s Ice Hockey Team: The IOC has decided to allow the two National Olympic Committees for the first time in their Olympic history This unified women’s ice hockey team is created by adding 12 players and one official from the NOC of the DPRK to the existing ROK Olympic squad of 23 players With respect to fair play and the other competing teams only 22 players will be entitled to play in each game as is the rule for all participating teams responsible for the selection of the players The head coach will at each match select at least three players from the NOC of the DPRK for the team The unified women's ice hockey team will be represented by the Korean Unification Flag and will compete as Korea the athletes will compete for their respective NOC in their respective uniforms Figure Skating: The IOC allocated an additional quota place after the registration deadline had expired to the qualified figure skating pair (RYOM Tae-ok and KIM Ju-sik) from the NOC of the DPRK Short Track Speed Skating: The IOC allocated two additional quota places to the NOC of the DPRK in short track speed skating to allow two male athletes (JONG Kwang-bom – 1500m and CHOE Un-song - 500m) to compete at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 Cross-Country Skiing: The IOC allocated three additional quota places to the NOC of the DPRK to allow two male athletes (HAN Chun-gyong - 15km freestyle and PAK Il-chol - 15km freestyle) and one female athlete (RI Yong-gum – 10km freestyle) to compete in PyeongChang Alpine Skiing: The IOC allocated three additional quota places to the NOC of DPRK to allow two male athletes (CHOE Myong-gwang and KANG Song-il) and one female athlete (KIM Ryon-hyang) to compete in PyeongChang All three athletes will compete in both the Giant Slalom and Slalom events Any necessary technical equipment will be provided to the athletes by the IOC in cooperation with the International Federations President Bach thanked all the delegations and emphasised that the meeting had taken place in the Olympic spirit He said: “The Olympic spirit is about respect The Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 are hopefully opening the door to a brighter future on the Korean peninsula and inviting the world to join in a celebration of hope.” He went on to say: “The Olympic Games show us what the world could look like if we were all guided by the Olympic spirit of respect and understanding This is the Olympic message that will go from PyeongChang to the world.” Read his full remarks here. The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. PyeongChang 2018 “North and South Korean Olympic Participation Meeting”: IOC begins talks in Lausanne to “build bridges” IOC News Factsheet on the “North and South Korean Olympic Participation Meeting” The 2018 Winter Olympics ended Sunday evening in Pyeongchang with a closing ceremony featuring fireworks the reappearance of Tongan cross-country skier Pita Taufatofua sans shirt and a dance party that brought athletes onstage eager to let loose and celebrate their games Norway is taking home the most Winter Olympic medals this year winning 23 — its lowest number of medals since 1998 (The gold medal count has stayed consistent at nine since 2006.) Host South Korea won 17 and its athletes took part in a joint North-South women's ice hockey team men (gold) and South Korea's women (silver) scored a historic win against longtime gold medalist Canada But these were not the games' defining moments figure skater Adam Rippon made his Olympic debut on Feb follows guides for the victory ceremony of the women's downhill on Feb men's curling team celebrates its surprise win over Sweden on Feb It was the first team gold in the sport by an American team Cross-country skier Peter Mlynar of Slovakia took part in the men's 50-kilometer mass start race on Feb The race was won by Iivo Niskanen of Finland French biathlete Anais Chevalier competes at the shooting range in the women's 4x6-kilometer relay on Feb Lizzy Yarnold of Great Britain takes part in the women's skeleton final run on Feb She won gold — and became the first woman to win two Olympic medals in the sport She won her first at the Sochi Games in 2014 Snowboarder Silje Norendal of Norway competes during the final of the women's big air event on Feb Tongan cross-country skier Pita Taufatofua delighted fans at the closing ceremony by reprising his shirtless march from the opening ceremony Russian athletes celebrate after winning the men's gold medal hockey game against Germany It was the second gold for the Olympic Athletes from Russia cross-country skier Jessica Diggins crosses the finish line to win team gold in the women's cross-country team sprint free final on Feb Gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada perform during the ice dancing free skate on Feb Norway's gold medalist Marit Bjoergen jumps for joy on the medal podium with Finland's silver medalist Krista Parmakoski (left) and Sweden's bronze medalist Stina Nilsson during the medal ceremony for the cross-country women's 30-kilometer mass start classic Bjoergen has won 15 Olympic medals over her career Cross-country skier Iivo Niskanen of Finland celebrates winning the men's 50-kilometer mass start classic race on Feb His was Finland's first gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information 2018 at 7:35 AM EDTBookmarkSaveOn a sunny weekend afternoon in Pyeongchang 34-year-old Gu-ru Suh and her parents wandered near Alpensia Sports Park one of the many sports complexes developed for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games the area was swarming with international visitors watching ski jumping legacy vision for PyeongChang 2018 venues is taking shapeOne of the key pledges of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 organisers was to create venues that were sustainable and would provide a legacy that would see them contribute to the local region long after the Games had finished in terms of both establishing it as a winter sports hub and enhancing its overall infrastructure Of the 12 competition venues and one training venue that were used for the Games, legacy plans have been confirmed for nine. In late December 2018, the Gangneung Hockey Centre played host to the national men’s ice hockey championships, and it is also due to stage the upcoming Legacy Cup, which will take place from 6 to 8 February to mark the one-year anniversary of PyeongChang 2018, and will feature teams from Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia and the Republic of Korea. “If Gangneung Hockey Centre becomes the mecca of hockey in Korea and continues to host domestic and international events, it will also have a positive impact on the local economy in the city of Gangneung and the province of Gangwon,” said Korea Ice Hockey Association (KIHA) President Chung Mong-won. “It's imperative that we keep Gangneung Hockey Centre as a hockey-only venue if we want to take the next step forward.” Meanwhile, Kwandong Hockey Centre has been handed over to Catholic Kwandong University, and is being used by students as a multi-sports and educational facility. The Gangneung Ice Arena has been transferred to Gangneung City, and is currently undergoing renovation work before reopening as a multi-sports facility for public use. The training facility attached to the Ice Arena is set to be used by Youngdong College as an exhibition and seminar facility. One venue that will not remain in operation is the Jeongseon Alpine Centre. In collaboration with the Korea Forest Service, it is due to be dismantled in line with the original commitment to restore the mountain facility to its original state – reflecting the importance of sustainability and environmental protection for the host region. Discussions are ongoing to finalise the restoration plans. It is not only the competition venues that are set to enjoy a new role post-PyeongChang 2018. The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has also announced its plans to use the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) as a national archive and cultural space, under the aegis of the National Library of Korea. Finally, the Ministry, PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG) and Korean Sport and Olympic Committee are currently in discussions to convert the office building used by POCOG into a winter sports training centre. as Gangwon looks ahead to hosting the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in 2024 The Olympic venues continue to host international sports events this winter season as Gangwon moves ahead with its vision of expanding new horizons of sport The province is hosting youth sports camps and educational programmes and is establishing international partnerships for global peace initiatives Olympian Simidele Adeagbo (Nigeria), who competed at PyeongChang 2018, was at the Alpensia Sliding Centre taking part in the IBSF Skeleton Intercontinental Cup, and she shared her positive experience from the Games. © PyeongChang Legacy Foundation“It’s really an amazing experience to come back to the track that I competed on at the Olympics. It holds so many special memories. I’m really glad that the track is being used, and the legacy of the Olympics in PyeongChang is still living on today.” On the participation of African athletes in winter sports, she added, “It’s really great to know that Africa is still here in winter sports. When I was in PyeongChang we were really just breaking that barrier in skeleton. It’s great to know that it’s still growing and we’re still seeing African athletes come into this sport, and that legacy is also exciting.” Winter sports athletes continue to use the PyeongChang Olympic venues for training. Throughout the year, sports training takes place at the Alpensia Cross Country Centre, Alpensia Biathlon Centre and Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre. This year’s Dream Programme, an annual cultural and sports camp initiative which began in 2004, had 123 young people from 29 countries with little or no infrastructure to practise winter sports. Youngsters from Kenya and Colombia took part for the first time this year. To date, over 2,000 young people from 84 countries have participated in the programme, which has seen 185 athletes go on to compete in international winter sports competitions, including the Olympic Winter Games. © IOC / Greg MartinThe Legacy Foundation will host the “Imagine” Peace Camp in PyeongChang this summer in partnership with the International Olympic Truce Foundation, with support from the International Olympic Committee. As part of the programme, 100 participants from around the world will take part in a series of education workshops and sports activities aimed at promoting equality and peace, while exploring the role of sport in the peaceful resolution of conflict. The annual PyeongChang Peace Forum takes place this year on the second anniversary of the Games. The Forum has become a global platform for exploring peace and development, and how to promote peace for a sustainable future. As one of their greatest legacies, the PyeongChang Games served to celebrate a world united by sport in peaceful competition. Gunilla Lindberg, IOC Member and former Chair of the Coordination Commission for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, spoke of the strong legacy of these Games and the role of the upcoming Winter Youth Olympic Games. © Getty Images“The Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 will continue the strong legacy of the recent Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang and work to achieve our vision of expanding new horizons in sport. “Gangwon 2024 will continue their vision of bringing sport to a new generation of winter athletes. The hosting of the Winter YOG leverages the significant investment that the Republic of Korea has made in developing winter sport in the country and throughout Asia.” © Getty ImagesThe fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games will take place in Gangwon province, in the cities of PyeongChang and Gangneung, from 19 January to 2 February 2024. IOC News Olympic Education: Inspiring generations through sport PyeongChang 2018 PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation opens its doors the official licensed game of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 Managing Director of IOC Television and Marketing Services said: “We are proud to have our Worldwide TOP Partner Intel bring this competition to PyeongChang in the lead-up to the Olympic Winter Games 2018 Following on from the Olympic Summit last week the IOC will now explore esports’ relationship with the Olympic Movement further This is just the start of an exciting future and we’re interested to see how this experience will play out.” The Intel Extreme Masters PyeongChang competition will be open to any player A live qualifier event will also take place in Beijing in December between the top two qualifiers from China with the winner moving on to compete against the rest of the field in PyeongChang in the lead-up to the Olympic Winter Games 2018 “Esports is a growing cultural phenomenon expected to reach about 500 million fans worldwide by 2020 Intel’s goal is to share the thrilling esports experience with sports fans around the world,” said Gregory Bryant Senior Vice-President and General Manager of the Client Computing Group at Intel Corporation “Intel has pushed the boundaries of esports for more than 15 years and we’re committed to growing esports at every global sporting stage including this groundbreaking tournament in PyeongChang.” Building on the Intel Extreme Masters demonstration, Intel will also deliver interactive gaming experiences throughout the Olympic Village for attendees and athletes, with game kiosks featuring “Steep Road to the Olympics” Olympic and gaming fans will also have the opportunity to compete to be the best in an exhibition featuring “Steep Road to the Olympics” Additional competition and qualification details will be shared in November Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Ubisoft said: “We’re proud to be part of the esports exhibition leading into the Winter Olympics that will provide fans with more ways to engage with the sports they love We have been developing “Steep Road to the Olympics” in close relation with the IOC and we are now looking forward to this competition We cannot wait for our fans to play and compete in our new expansion.” Fans will be able follow the action and watch the competition unfold on the Olympic Channel global digital platform as well as additional broadcast and digital partners to be announced in the near future The International Olympic Committee and Intel announced their long-term Worldwide TOP Partnership in June. Intel is working with the IOC to reimagine the future of the Olympic Games with new levels of fan interaction through leading-edge technology. IOC News IOC and Intel announce Worldwide TOP Partnership through to 2024 we revisit the circumstances around his battle through injury to retain his title Hanyu dominated in the Gangneung Ice Arena as the Winnie the Pooh bears rained down from the audience in celebration Here is how Hanyu overcame those difficulties to make it back to the top step of the Olympic podium. ExclusiveYuzuru Hanyu (JPN) - Gold Medal | Men's Free SkatingThe men's free skating competition took place at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Saturday 17 February 2018 Hanyu struggled with various injuries to his back he was still able to break multiple scoring records while winning the Grand Prix Final in 2015 and 2016 It was a sign that he would not give up that easily The 2016/17 season proved to be better for the Japanese in terms of injuries as he remained relatively healthy and became the first skater to successfully land a quadruple loop before breaking the free skate ISU best score at the Worlds as he regained his world title Hanyu began his Olympic season with another world record scoring 112.72 points in the short program at the Challenger Series Autumn Classic International He then won silver at the Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix at which he landed his first quadruple Lutz in competition but his participation in PyeongChang was thrown into doubt in November 2017 he injured an ankle ligament which forced him out of his second Grand Prix assignment the NHK Trophy (and therefore the Grand Prix Final) it looked like the Olympics would be a step too far as Hanyu did not return to the ice to practise until January The Japanese Skating Federation chose not to enter Hanyu in the team event in order to allow him more ice time in training before the singles His first public skate in three months came on 16 February in the short program and it seemed like he had never been away from the ice with his score of 111.68 points just shy of his world best Yuzuru Hanyu performs to Frederic Chopin's Ballade No.1 in his short program on the way to Olympic gold at PyeongChang 2018 Hanyu again did the quad Salchow and toe loop avoiding the more trying quads to ease the pressure on his ankle It turned out he had been relying on approved painkillers to get him through the competition as he was still struggling with the injury Although he turned out of his second quad toe leaving him unable to complete that combination and receiving a mark-down for repeating a jump Hanyu fist pumped the air and screamed to himself in delight While his technical score was marked down for his errors he received a massive program components score with all his artistry-based marks in the nines and tens His 317.85 points gave him not only his second consecutive gold medal, but also the gold in the 1000th medal event in Winter Olympic history Yuzuru Hanyu is men's singles Olympic champion for the second time 1980 champion Robin Cousins gives us the lowdown Hanyu had also been selected in the Japanese team for the 2018 World Championships in Milan but his ankle ligament injury put paid to any plans of repeating his Olympics-Worlds double from 2014 where a parade was held in April in his hometown Sendai to celebrate his efforts then-Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzo also awarded Hanyu the People's Honour Award just the 27th person to receive the commendation and to date still the most recent After his first practice session at the Autumn Classic International Japan's double Olympic champion said he had been working on his jumping to try and land the first quad Axel in the history of competitive figure skating And that he has landed quad Axels in the harness The 2019/20 season proved fruitful for the Japanese as he won at both of his Grand Prix assignments by large margins before winning silver at the Grand Prix Final the coronavirus pandemic deprived him of a chance to regain the world title and also led to him withdrawing from the Grand Prix series in 2021 At Beijing 2022, Hanyu has the chance to become the first man to win three Olympic singles titles in a row since Sweden's Gillis Grafström Indeed, only two other people have won three Olympic titles in singles or pairs – Norway's Sonja Henie in ladies' singles in 1928, 1932, and 1936; and the Soviet pairs skater Irina Rodnina from 1972 to 1980 More history awaits Hanyu in the Chinese capital His rivals will have something to say about that Double Olympic champion Hanyu overcame a couple of sketchy early jumps to produce a scintillating free skate to 'Origin' and take victory at the Autumn Classic International in Oakville Ontario over Kevin Aymoz and Keegan Messing Artists perform near the Olympic flame during the closing ceremony we will remember Pyeongchang with beautiful memories," said Lee Hee-beom the Pyeongchang Olympics organizing committee president The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics concluded Sunday evening in South Korea The closing ceremony saw fewer athletes than the opening event 17 days ago — some Olympians have already gone home — but didn't skimp on pageantry K-pop and expressions of hope for peace between the two Koreas South Korean President Moon Jae-in (from left) Kim Yong Chol (back right) attend the closing ceremony and South Korean President Moon Jae-in sat near a visiting North Korean general whose delegation had earlier been met with a sit-in by conservative South Korean lawmakers near the border crossing we will remember Pyeongchang with beautiful memories you are true champions," said Lee Hee-beom "The seed of peace you have planted here in Pyeongchang will grow as a big tree in the not-distant future The hope and aspirations of South and North Korean athletes together with cheerleaders will definitely serve as a cornerstone of the unification of the Korean Peninsula." the head of the International Olympic Committee said North and South Korea "have shown how sport brings people together in our very fragile world With the Olympic flame extinguished in Pyeongchang the Chinese capital will host the next Winter Games we have the Summer Olympics to look forward to in Tokyo in 2020 Figure skaters Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres of France march in the parade of athletes Their music choices for their routines drew a lot of attention from the media and on YouTube Flags of the participating nations are projected onto the stands as athletes enter the stadium there is no specific order for procession as all athletes come together Tongan cross-country skier Pita Taufatofua (left) once again marched bare-chested in frigid weather and met onstage with China's silver medalist snowboarder Liu Jiayu and U.S The ceremony began with a montage of the achievements and notable moments of the Winter Games Other moments included a dance performance K-pop singer CL performed "The Baddest Female," "representing passion and the venturing spirit," and 2NE1's hit song " 'I Am the Best' to convey the message that everyone is a winner." Four-time Olympian Arianna Fontana of Italy donned the gold silver and bronze medals she won in the short track speedskating events in Pyeongchang The Olympic flame of the 2018 Winter Olympics is extinguished amid fireworks at the closing ceremony The next Winter Games will be held in 2022 in Beijing North Koreans and South Koreans walk side by side said North and South Korea "have shown how sport brings people together in our very fragile world." illuminated performance celebrates the Winter Games' next site complete with an appearance by skating pandas French biathlon champion Martin Fourcade (center) poses for a selfie with athletes and volunteers during the closing ceremony The Olympic flame is extinguished in the cauldron But Olympics fans will have to wait just over two years for another fix — the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo Members of Olympic Athletes from Russia teams parade in The athletes had to compete under a neutral flag after the nation's official team was banned from the games Drones light up the sky in the shape of Soohorang the white tiger Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games mascot The winning athletes were given plush tigers in Soohorang's image Organizers had promised that the Olympic Stadium would be "filled with the roar of compliments and the applause of friendship." A caption in a previous version of this story described Lindsey Vonn as a gold medalist Although she won a gold medal in a previous Olympics Media reports have described the many ways that cold temperatures have affected the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang and some concert goers suffered from hypothermia prior to the opening ceremony The region is known to be cold and dry; temperatures in February in Pyeongchang average -5.5 degrees Celsius (22.1 degrees Fahrenheit) But NASA data show that the temperatures in the first days of the winter games have been colder than usual The map shows that colder-than-average temperatures prevailed across most of the Korean Peninsula The line chart shows how land surface temperatures in the city changed over the course of a year Early February 2018 is clearly colder than the same time in 2017 Cold is not the only factor affecting the games. Wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour have ripped through the region and caused some of the skiing events to be delayed or postponed. The natural-color image below was acquired on February 13, 2017, by MODIS on the Aqua satellite Clouds over land appear to moving in the same direction as the winds which frequently blow from Siberia toward the southeast February 13, 2018JPEG Snow is also visible in Pyeongchang, located amid the Taebaek Mountains, the site of the skiing and snowboarding events, as well as the opening ceremonies. There is visibly less snow on the coastal plain near Gangneung, the site of Olympic ice events. See a detailed view of these two regions here written by the scientists currently in the field NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens, using data from the Level 1 and Atmospheres Active Distribution System (LAADS) and LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response View this area in EO Explorer The temperatures in the first days of the winter games have been colder than usual Pyeongchang is nestled in the Taebaek Mountains a 22-million year old range that stretches 500 kilometers near the Pacific Coast of South and North Korea Though the talk in much of the United States was about polar vortices and wicked cold snaps the wider world was actually warmer than normal a deep chill descended across eastern Asia Winter Olympics provide indelible memories for Duke community members Randi Griffin will sit down with faculty from Duke’s Evolutionary Anthropology Department and defend her dissertation on computational analyses of primate skulls She expects her work to hold up and aims to graduate with her Ph.D her lack of butterflies for a dissertation defense is understandable The 29-year old Duke graduate student was a forward for the joint Korean women’s ice hockey that competed in the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang As the player who scored the team’s first goal Griffin was perhaps the most well-known member of a team whose story spanned both sports and geopolitics “It was pretty overwhelming,” Griffin said Griffin is one of a handful of Duke community members who made the trip to Pyeongchang in February to compete in An Apex native who played college hockey at Harvard when she was recruited to join the South Korean team with her classwork in the five-year evolutionary anthropology Ph.D where she worked on her dissertation by day and trained with the national team each night Griffin and her teammates were moved to an isolated training facility in order to get away from the spotlight In what became perhaps the games’ biggest story officials from North and South Korea agreed to combine women’s hockey teams The announcement stunned Griffin and her teammates But with a handful of new players from North Korea arriving and a short time to get comfortable there was nothing to do but forge ahead amid surreal circumstances “We’d sit in the dining hall during those two weeks and look up at the TV and we’d have the news on,” Griffin said Griffin said the turbulent lead-up to the games likely contributed to blowout losses to Sweden and Switzerland fought off a defender and sent a shot lumbering toward the goal The puck bounced off the pads of goalie Akane Konishi and trickled into the net giving the Korean team its first goal of the games and sending the home crowd into a frenzy “Sometimes you throw the puck at the net and you get lucky.” Griffin’s goal made her an Olympic celebrity a status she said she was somewhat uncomfortable with She felt the story should have been how well the team played not who touched the puck last on what she called a “junk goal.” I had to just go with it and see it as a positive,” Griffin said celebratory banquets and the closing ceremonies Griffin found herself on a long plane ride back to Connecticut – where she now lives with her girlfriend – poring over research data on primate skulls She’ll be back on the ice in April when South Korea competes in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championships Following his passionThe first time Ken Childs remembers watching a bobsled race was in 1988 As a nine-year-old watching coverage of the races from the Winter Olympics in Calgary Childs was captivated by the racers who barreled down twisting courses in sleds travelling upwards of 90 miles per hour it took him to Pyeongchang to experience his first Olympic Games Childs was there to cover bobsled, luge and skeleton events for SlidingOnIce.com Childs started the site in 2011 after finding that it was hard to find information on sliding sports his site has become one of the main sources of information and analysis for fans and racers alike In addition to posting results and reactions from races he watches online New York to cover the major events held there each winter But last month’s Olympic Games was by far his biggest assignment As one of the few journalists who cover the sport constantly Childs offered perspective that others couldn’t If an athlete overcame injury or endured a winding road to the medal stand which usually peaks around 10,000 hits per week during major non-Olympic competitions spiked to around 40,000 hits per week during his time in South Korea “It’s a labor of love,” Childs said of running the site “The hours are terrible and the pay is bad operations coordinator for Duke Global Administrative and Travel Support couldn’t contain his excitement about the upcoming games earned a spot as a reserve goalie on the Korean women’s ice hockey squad “I told everyone from random people in the elevator to people I hadn’t talked to in 10 years because it’s so cool,” Knowles said very hard and I’m happy it paid off for her.” was born in South Korea and lives in Canada but that didn’t dampen her family’s experience Schuyler was part of a large group of family members who traveled to Pyeongchang He got to see his sister on most days and was in the stands for the opening ceremony and the first three games played by the joint Korean team He flew home a few days before the games ended some souvenirs and memories that won’t soon fade it’s the story of a lifetime,” Schuyler said “We’ll always be talking about the time we went to the Olympics to watch Genny.” Follow Working@Duke on Twitter and Facebook. Copy and paste the URL below to share this page. Duke Today is produced jointly by University Communications and Marketing and the Office of Communication Services (OCS). Articles are produced by staff and faculty across the university and health system to comprise a one-stop-shop for news from around Duke. Geoffrey Mock of University Communications is the editor of the 'News' edition. Leanora Minai of OCS is the editor of the 'Working@Duke' edition. We welcome your comments and suggestions! 2018 9:26 AM ESTA cyberattack paralyzed internet networks at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in what appeared to be a bid to embarrass the organizers Hacking caused both LAN and WiFi communications to fail during the opening ceremony on Feb 9 and prevented tickets from being printed from the Olympics website a spokeswoman for the Pyeongchang Winter Games the following day and organizers are investigating who was behind the attack The incident underscores the threat of hacking even as South Korea organized a team of experts well before the event started Due to the ad hoc nature of cyber operations at the Olympics the event is more vulnerable to hackers who exploit the lack of security discipline among personnel brought together from different organizations a professor of cyber security at South Korea’s Hoseo Technical College “Anything that is run temporarily carries risks because not everyone is working hand in glove,” Hwang said “This hurts the public credibility of the Pyeongchang Olympics given how important networks are in running such a massive event.” Hwang wouldn’t point to any suspect without analyzing the code first But he wouldn’t rule out the involvement of players from North Korea and Russia Even though this year’s Winter Olympics drew a high-level delegation from North Korea it has been blamed in past attacks in South Korea and has a history of making provocations while offering an olive branch Russia was banned over a doping scandal with some athletes from the country competing as individuals Calls to the chief technical engineer at Pyeongchang for comment went unanswered server names and passwords used for the Olympic Games infrastructure Cisco’s Talos threat intelligence division wrote on its blog saying it identified 44 individual accounts in the code Samples of the “Olympic Destroyer” indicate the hackers did not try to steal information analysis shows they performed only “destructive” functions are not from adversaries looking for information from the games but instead they are aimed to disrupt the games,” it said on the blog “It leaves us confident in thinking that the actors behind this were after embarrassment of the Olympic committee during the opening ceremony.” Contact us at letters@time.com