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Below Luge athletes test out the Olympic Sliding Centre Below left Phoenix Snow Park will host snowboard and freestyle skiing events YONGPYONG ALPINE CENTRE Since 1998 the Yongpyong Alpine Centre has been an important location in the world of Alpine skiing, serving as a venue for the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup among other events. With capacity for 6,000 fans, it too has been renovated in preparation for PyeongChang 2018, and its technical descent will provide a stern challenge for athletes in slalom and giant slalom. JEONGSEON ALPINE CENTRE Unlike its counterpart in Yongpyong, the Jeongseon Alpine Centre is a new venue specifi cally built for the Olympic Winter Games. This 6,500-capacity centre has already welcomed FIS World Cup meets to its slopes, including PyeongChang 2018’s fi rst offi cial test event in February 2016, which saw the fi rst downhill race ever to take place in the country. Following positive feedback from the athletes, the stage looks set for a great show in the downhill, super-G and Alpine combined categories. PHOENIX SNOW PARK The westernmost venue at the Games, Phoenix Snow Park has been a winter sports hub for over 20 years. After renovation work was recently completed at the complex, it is once again ready to host all the snowboard events – with the exception of snowboard big air – and freestyle skiing events, and with an impressive capacity of 18,000, expect plenty of noise from the cheering crowds. ALPENSIA SKI JUMPING CENTRE The 8,500-capacity Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre was built in 2009 but has been newly renovated ahead of the Games, and is equipped with windbreak nets that can slow down the wind velocity to less than three metres per second. The venue has experience in major events, having staged the FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup in 2009 and 2011, and will play host to three disciplines at the Games: ski jumping, Nordic combined and snowboard big air. ALPENSIA BIATHLON CENTRE Another venue that has previously hosted elite competitions, notably the IBU Biathlon World Championships in 2009, the Alpensia Biathlon Centre has also been treated to a revamp. It accommodates 7,500 spectators and will be the home of all biathlon events at the Games, which will be held at night and will look spectacular under lights. ALPENSIA CROSS-COUNTRY CENTRE The Alpensia Cross-Country Centre represents the third and fi nal element of the Alpensia Sports Park makeover for the Games. It is an accomplished host of cross-country skiing events, serving as the location of the FIS Far East Cup for three years in succession between 2011 and 2013. The venue includes nine courses and can host 7,500 spectators, who will be able to watch the cross-country skiing and Nordic combined disciplines. PYEONGCHANG OLYMPIC VILLAGE One of two Olympic Villages, the PyeongChang Mountain Cluster site is located adjacent to the Yongpyong Dome and will accommodate 3,500 athletes and offi cials. Its accessible, eco-friendly resort-style apartments will provide an athlete- oriented environment, while the Village’s legacy is also in safe hands, with the apartments having been sold off to private buyers to ensure they are put to good use after the Games. INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST CENTRE Located in the heart of the Alpensia resort, the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) will serve as the primary base of operations for Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and the Rights-Holding Broadcasters. From there, nearly 4,000 hours of images will be transmitted across the world, while enclosed TV studios will be installed on the roof of the building to allow broadcasters to transmit reports with stunning views of the surrounding mountains. To reduce environmental impact, OBS will re-use pre-fabricated panels that were introduced for the Olympic Games Rio 2016. OLYMPIC REVIEW 45 PYEONGCHANG 2018 PREVIEW