South Korea to honor Bach for Pyeongchang contribution

[March 06, 2018]    SEOUL (Reuters) - The South Korean government is to award International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach with the country's highest sporting honor for his role in helping make the Pyeongchang Winter Games a success, the sports ministry said on Tuesday.

IOC President Thomas Bach gives a speech during the closing ceremony. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

The ministry added that no date had been set yet for Bach to receive the Cheongryong Medal.

Pyeongchang brought the curtain down on Asia's first Winter Games outside Japan on Feb. 25. Despite issues such as a norovirus outbreak and extreme temperatures in the first week of competition, organizers were widely praised for running a polished Games.

Other former recipients of the Cheongryong (blue dragon) honor include 2010 Olympic figure skating gold medalist Kim Yuna and Dutchman Guus Hiddink, who coached the Korean national soccer team to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.

(Writing by Peter Rutherford; Reporting by Haejin Choi; Editing by John O'Brien)

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