KOC announces goal to achieve top 4 at Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

Attention is focusing not only on the infrastructure for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, but also on Korean athletes’ capacity and performance. If the event turns out to be a feast of other country, Korean public’s interest in and attention to the event will instantly wane.

The Korean Olympic Committee announced on Monday a master plan for the Pyeongchang event as well as the national goal of clinching the top four countries by acquiring more than 20 medals. Korea`s best performance in winter Olympics was made in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, finishing fifth with 14 medals: six gold, six silver and two bronze medals.

To achieve an outcome beyond its performance in Vancouver, the KOC presented three specific measures. For one, the committee has decided to expand assistance and infrastructure for national athletes of winter sports to boost capacity and performance of "Taegeuk Warriors." It also plans to interlink promising youths by systematically nurturing teenagers and prospective athletes, while discovering rookies and hopefuls via lessons and other trainings. In addition, the committee will support establishing pro teams and holding competitions at home and aboard, aiming to broaden the base of winter sports.

The Olympic organization will increase the number of winter sports athletes being trained in the national team from 225 to 235. The committee has also decided to increase the number of foreign coaches from nine to 15, and raise the duration and frequency of overseas training camps. To support winter sports, it will invest 15.8 billion won (14.4 million U.S. dollars) next year.

With its executives including Chairman Kim Jung-haeng, leaders of seven winter sports organizations, and athletes in attendance at the Taeneung Athletic Village, the committee will hold a briefing session on Tuesday on athletes’ performance in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.