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PYEONGCHANG 2018 OPENS FIRST NEW VENUE IN GANGNEUNGThe Gangneung Ice Arena was officially opened ahead of the ISU Short Track World Cup event in December, which served as a test event for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. The 12,000-capacity venue, which took two-and-a-half years to complete, will also host figure skating at the 2018 winter Games.Located in Gangneung Olympic Park, the Ice Arena is one of six new venues for PyeongChang 2018 and was the first to be completed.IOC Member Gunilla Lindberg, who is chair of the PyeongChang 2018 Coordination Commission, said: “I congratulate everyone involved in the construction of this venue for their hard work. I also wish good fortune to those that will operate this venue until the Games and beyond. Most of all, I wish good luck to all the athletes who will grace the ice in this stadium for the coming weekend and during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.” Lindberg also met with the Acting President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea Hwang Kyo-ahn.Over the course of the ISU World Cup, which was held from 16-18 December, over 29,000 spectators came to see the action, with the event hailed as a huge success by Lee Hee-beom, President of the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee. “There are 418 days left until the PyeongChang Games, but as far as we’re concerned, the Olympic Games have already begun with this test event,” he said. “We’ve identified some areas that need improvements, but the ISU has told us our overall preparation has been perfect.”The IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 completed its third official visit to the Japanese capital on 1-2 December. The commission acknowledged the organisers’ significant progress in Games preparations, as well as their commitment to finalise the venue master plan quickly and integrate into their plans the five new sports approved during the IOC Session in Rio de Janeiro.Building on the success of the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and an internationally acclaimed handover ceremony, Tokyo 2020 showcased how its state-of-the-art facilities will offer a unique Olympic experience to the world’s best athletes. The commission also heard about the venues for baseball/softball, karate, skateboard, sport climbing and surfing, which were included on the Tokyo 2020 programme in response to the new opportunity provided by Olympic Agenda 2020.“We are very pleased with the significant progress that has been achieved since the last visit of the Coordination Commission to Tokyo,” said commission chair John Coates. “The IOC and all of the Japanese partners are rowing in the same direction. Our continued close collaboration will ensure that the venue master plan is finalised quickly; that the significant savings in the Games budget are delivered; and that the local population is left with an important positive legacyfrom these Games.”TOKYO MAKES STRONG STRIDES TOWARDS 2020Above The Gangneung Ice Arena hosts the ISU World Cup event OLYMPIC REVIEW 19