|
The flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece on Oct. 24 before
coming to Korea for the domestic relay. It would then be taken
through 17 cities and provinces by 7,500 torchbearers, beginning
on Nov. 1 -- the 100-day countdown to the Games, POCOG said in a
statement.
The identity of the final torchbearer has not been revealed yet
but it would be a huge surprise if figure skater Kim Yuna does
not light the cauldron to start Asia's first Winter Games
outside of Japan.
Kim, who almost single-handedly raised the profile of winter
sports in South Korea, won gold at the Vancouver Games in 2010
and a controversial silver in Sochi four years later before
retiring from the sport.
She was also a torchbearer at the 2006 and 2010 Games and said
the experience would create a "lifelong memory" for those taking
part in the relay for Pyeongchang.
"It was a great honor to carry the Olympic torch for Torino 2006
and Vancouver 2010," she said in the statement. "It motivated me
to work even harder toward winning a gold medal at the Olympic
Winter Games."
Also on Monday, the South Korean government said it would tack
on 2 billion won ($1.75 million) in additional funding to help
local athletes prepare for the Games, Yonhap News reported.
The funds are in addition to the 33.7 billion won the government
had already set aside for athlete training and preparation.
Located in the mountainous Gangwon Province, some 180 kilometers
east of Seoul, Pyeongchang failed in bids for the 2010 and 2014
Winter Games before finally finding success.
The 2018 Games kick off an Olympic cycle in Northeast Asia, with
Tokyo hosting the 2020 Summer Games and Beijing staging the
Winter Olympics two years later.
There have also been suggestions the region could stage three
straight Winter Games with the Japanese city of Sapporo thought
to be keen to stage the 2026 event.
(Reporting by Peter Rutherford; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
