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life as it covers 2,018km across Korea. Travelling by plane, ship, train, sailboat, cable car, bike and even zip wire, the torch will have visited nine provinces, eight major cities, and 151 counties and districts by the time it reaches PyeongChang Olympic Stadium on 9 February. “We are working closely with organisations across the country to make sure the Olympic Torch Relay can be a catalyst for locals to feel the Games coming to life, and for them to buy their tickets and plan their Olympic experience,” says POCOG President Lee. According to POCOG, the fi ve-angled design of the torch’s cap represents “the spirit of sports, which connects races, nations, religions, genders, cultures and the fi ve continents around the world, uniting them with passion”. Indeed, with the Games slogan of “Passion. Connected.” organisers are already drawing on the power of the Olympic Games to bring people together using the Olympic spirit. And when the Olympic cauldron is fi nally lit on 9 February, the Republic of Korea will once again be at the centre of this incredible uniting force, just as it was three decades ago. ■ ‘WE HOPE PYEONGCHANG BECOMES ASIA’S BEST WINTER TOURIST DESTINATION AFTER HOSTING THE GAMES’ SUNG BAIK-YOU, POCOG SPOKESMAN LEE SANG-HWA REPUBLIC OF KOREA SPEED SKATING The women’s 500m world record holder will go for her third straight Olympic gold medal in the event, as she aims to match the triple success of the USA’s Bonnie Blair OLE EINAR BJØRNDALEN NORWAY BIATHLON The “King of Biathlon”, who will be 44 at PyeongChang 2018, will try to add to his record tally of 13 Olympic Winter Games medals SARA TAKANASHI JAPAN SKI JUMPING The 21-year-old’s dominant run has seen her claim more than 50 individual World Cup victories; an Olympic medal is the only missing prize MIKAELA SHIFFRIN USA ALPINE SKIING The American sensation will go for her second Olympic slalom title after her victory in Sochi, and will bid for medals in the giant slalom and super combined ONES TO WATCH OLYMPIC REVIEW 37