[Editorial] Pyeongchang’s Beautiful Challenge

Pyeongchang failed once again in its bid to host the Winter Olympic Games. The plenary session of the International Olympic Committee held yesterday in Guatemala selected the Russian city of Sochi as the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Just like what happened four years ago, Pyeongchang failed in the final vote even though it won the first vote.

Convinced that Pyeongchang would win the bid by news reports from overseas media outlets, Koreans could not hide their disappointment. People in Gangwon Province who were eagerly awaiting the vote results in front their TVs, and residents of Pyeongchang, in particular, burst into tears at the news.

Though not selected, however, the two successive bids by the peaceful rural province were beautiful and valuable.

Since their declaration to bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics, despite the pessimistic assessment of others in 1999, the people of Pyeongchang and Gangwon Province have united as one and made focused efforts to successfully win their bid. They paved roads, gardened and invited youths from countries whose winter sports are underdeveloped to teach skiing and snowboarding despite their tight budgets. As a result, Pyeongchang was rated a top candidate not only in the IOC’s inspection in February but at the final presentation session in Guatemala. However, the county failed to overcome Sochi’s material superiority and the power of international sports politics.

The Pyeongchang and Gangwon, corporations and the sports community have done their utmost, including Gangwon Province Governor Kim Jin-seon, chairman of the 2014 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee Han Seung-soo, Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee and President of the Korea Sports Council Kim Jeong-gil. President Roh Moo-hyun also actively rendered his support in the last moments of the effort. All those related to the effort appealed for votes to IOC members until the very last moment to win the bid to host the Winter Olympic Games to add to the country’s successful hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and its recent selection as the host city for the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. Such wholehearted efforts came from their longing to help the country join the ranks of advanced countries by hosting the Winter Olympics. Their efforts are truly laudable.

It is too early to discuss a third bid. However, another opportunity must come if the country improves its sports diplomacy, which turned out to be inadequate, and the level of its winter sports. The enthusiastic efforts of Gangwon residents, who sincerely supported the authorities chanting “Yes, Pyeongchang” should be commended. It is also time for all Koreans to be grateful to each other for actively supporting the efforts as if the bid was their own.