The South Korean county of Pyeongchang has been chosen to host the 2018 Winter Olympics by the International Olympic Committee today.
South Korea was selected ahead of two European candidates, having lost out at the final hurdle for both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. The IOC reached a unanimous decision in the first round of voting at the IOC's Executive Board, in Durban, South Africa. Pyeongchang, on South Korea's east coast, has a population of 47,000 and says it can become a hub of winter sports in the region.
"This is one of the happiest days for our country, our people and millions of youth dreaming of winter sport," Pyeongchang bid chief Cho Yang-ho told Reuters.
This is the third time that the Winter Olympics will take place in Asia, with Japan having hosted the event in Sapporo in '72 and Nagano '98. If the South Korean snow resembles the powder fields of Japan we could be in for a cracking games.
Source: BBC
Written by Stephen Adam
© Igluski