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USOC LAUNCHES KOREAN MENTOR PROGRAMMEBEIJING 2022 ADVANCES PLANS FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND LEGACYIn June, the IOC’s Coordination Commission made its second trip to China to review preparations for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and was pleased to see advancements in the host city’s sustainability and legacy plans. “Since our last visit, the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee has made good progress in its preparations for sustainable Olympic Winter Games that will benefit the city, region and country for decades to come,” commission chair Alexander Zhukov said. “It is clear that the organisers have taken care to implement the spirit of Olympic Agenda 2020 throughout their preparations to host the Olympic Winter Games. I look forward to continued collaboration on these important topics under the leadership of Beijing 2022’s new President Cai Qi, with whom we are already building a strong relationship.”On 12 June, the Coordination Commission visited four sites in Beijing – the new National Speed Skating Oval, the Shougang Industrial Park, the Capital Indoor Stadium and Wukesong Sports Centre. Both the Capital Indoor Stadium and Wukesong Sports Centre were used during the Olympic Games in 2008, and will be repurposed for the Olympic Winter Games, with the venues already hosting international curling and ice hockey matches respectively.The involvement of athletes in the preparations for the Games was evident during the venue tour, with Olympic medallists Wang Beixing (pictured left) and Li Nina being joined by former national figure skating champion Yao Jia to present the venues. All three athletes are currently working in Beijing 2022’s Sports Department.On 13 June, Beijing 2022 gave a series of presentations including updates on venue and competition plans, organisational structure, and advances made in marketing and communications projects.In August, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) launched a Korean youth mentoring programme that will see Olympic ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani mentor young students virtually and in person in the build-up to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.The programme will run in partnership with the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG) as well as Jinbu Middle School, and is part of USOC’s “Thank you, PyeongChang” initiative, which aims to harness the spirit of Olympism to contribute to the positive legacy of the Games.The Shibutanis kicked off the programme by releasing a video for the students to coincide with the first day of the 2017-18 school year. In the video, the brother and sister duo spoke of their excitement about teaching their mentees about topics such as the Olympic values, health and nutrition, and what it takes to be Olympians, while they also expressed their enthusiasm for being given the opportunity to learn about Korean culture as they prepare to compete at PyeongChang 2018.During its fourth visit to Tokyo on 28-30 June, the IOC’s Coordination Commission was impressed with the Japanese host city’s innovative plans to bring the Games to new audiences. From projects to engage the whole of Japan to an exciting new gender-balanced, youthful and urban sports programme, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are set to deliver a unique experience for athletes and fans of all ages.During the IOC’s three-day visit, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee emphasised various ways that Japanese residents can play a role in Games preparations, including donating their old electronic devices so that they can be used in the creation of the medals.“The ongoing work on an urban feel in the waterfront zone, pre-Games engagement activities, and Tokyo 2020’s athletes-first focus means that we leave Tokyo excited about what the future holds for these Olympic Games,” said commission chair John Coates.TOKYO 2020 SET TO ATTRACT NEW AUDIENCESBelow Commission members watch a skateboarding demonstrationOLYMPIC REVIEW 19