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Many people had never heard of PyeongChang, a county with a population of 43,000, when it began its quest for the Olympic Winter Games more than 15 years ago. But now, the Games are just around the corner in “Happy 700” PyeongChang, so-called because its location 700m above sea level is considered the optimal altitude for the well-being of humans and animals.“After the summer Games in Rio de Janeiro the interest in the upcoming Olympic Winter Games had a big boom both inside and outside the country,” says Gunilla Lindberg, Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for PyeongChang 2018. “The test events that have taken place in PyeongChang have been very successful and received highest marks from the competing athletes and their coaches.”Snow is bountiful in the PyeongChang mountain cluster, where the resorts aspire to become known as the “Alps of Asia”. The Yongpyong Alpine Centre, based at the largest ski and snowboard resort in the Republic of Korea, is the host for slalom and giant slalom; the Jeongseon Alpine Centre will feature downhill, super-G and combined; and the Bokwang Snow Park will be the site for freestyle skiing and snowboard.The largest concentration of venues is at Alpensia: the Alpensia Ski Jumping Right Kim Jun-ho (KOR) competes at the speed skating test event Below right Test events have been held under the banner of “Hello PyeongChang”Centre (ski jumping, Nordic combined and snowboard Big Air); the Alpensia Biathlon Centre; the Alpensia Cross-Country Centre (cross-country skiing and Nordic combined); and the Alpensia Sliding Centre (bobsleigh, luge and skeleton). The Opening and Closing ceremonies will take place in the nearby Olympic Stadium, which seats 35,000 and is part of an Olympic Park that also includes a medal plaza, exhibition hall, traditional food markets and other attractions.The indoor ice arenas are about a half-hour drive away in the Gangneung coastal cluster. The city of 230,000 boasts beaches and has an entirely different feel to the mountains. The gleaming new indoor facilities include the Gangneung Ice Arena (short track and fi gure skating), Gangneung Oval (speed skating), Gangneung Hockey Centre and Kwandong Hockey Centre. OLYMPIC REVIEW 37