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WORKS OF ART Inspired by Korean culture and traditions, the Olympic medals were unveiled by POCOG in September, at a ceremony in Seoul. They were created by the celebrated designer Lee Suk-woo, who incorporated Hangeul – the Korean alphabet and the cornerstone of Korean culture – into their design through a series of three-dimensional consonants, which stretch across the face of the medals to the edge, where they come together to spell “Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018”. As a result, they create dynamic diagonal lines that resemble the texture of tree trunks, symbolising the work that has gone into developing Korean culture and the Games themselves. While the obverse of the medals shows the Olympic rings, the reverse features the name of the discipline and event, alongside the PyeongChang 2018 emblem. The ribbon from which the medal hangs is equally important, and has been created using Gapsa, a traditional Korean fabric. The light teal and pale red ribbon is also embroidered with Hangeul patterns and other designs. “These wonderful medals perfectly encapsulate our culture, tradition and the Olympic values,” said POCOG President Lee Hee-beom. “We want the medal to be a symbol of the Republic of Korea and all the wonderful memories that the athletes will take home from their time here.” Shim Suk-hee, who hails from Gangneung, the host city for the short track programme during PyeongChang 2018. A member of the Olympic gold medal-winning women’s 3,000m relay team at Sochi 2014, Shim, 20, has matured into a dominant force in the 1,000m and 1,500m. Her biggest threat may well be 19-year-old team-mate Choi Min-jeong, who has also made strides in the 500m – the only distance where the Republic of Korea, the world’s short track powerhouse, has yet to win Olympic gold. POCOG has also taken steps to engage young people within the Republic of Korea, naming national icons such as Olympic fi gure skating champion Yuna Kim and Taeyang of the K-pop group BIGBANG as Games ambassadors, as well as launching a youth mentorship programme in partnership with the United States Olympic Committee. The “Thank You, PyeongChang” initiative has been set up to contribute to the positive legacy of the Games and has seen American ice dancing pair Maia and Alex Shibutani mentoring students at Jinbu Middle School in PyeongChang through virtual lessons. Since 2004, PyeongChang has also been running winter sports training camps under the Dream Programme, which introduces these sports to young people who may otherwise not have the opportunity to experience them. The programme was launched as part of PyeongChang’s candidature for the 2010 Winter Games and has continued to run as a successful legacy of that candidature. So far, more than 1,500 youngsters aged 11 to 15 – and from 75 countries – have participated. Perhaps the most signifi cant initiative to help build excitement ahead of the Games, however, has been the Olympic Torch Relay. After beginning on 1 November to mark the 100-day countdown to the Opening Ceremony, the Olympic fl ame will be carried by 7,500 torchbearers from all walks of Above The Olympic Sliding Centre will host the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions Right Giving young people the opportunity to experience new sports has been a key focus PYEONGCHANG 2018 PREVIEW 36 OLYMPIC REVIEW