South Koreans reacted with unashamed joy and relief as Pyeongchang, South Korea, overcame two past disappointments to win the right to stage the 2018 Winter Olympics in a surprisingly easy victory over their European rivals.
The Pyeongchang delegation at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Durban, South Africa, erupted in wild cheering and chanted “Korea, Korea” on Wednesday as IOC president Jacques Rogge announced their victory over Munich, Germany, and Annecy, France.
In Pyeongchang itself, thousands of South Koreans, including soldiers, robed monks and young children, waited up late at night at the base of the Alpensia ski jump to celebrate.
Elsewhere throughout the country there were gatherings at numerous venues where relieved South Koreans reacted with tears, dancing and displays of fireworks.
The South Korean city had bid twice before and gone agonizingly close to victory before losing to Vancouver, Canada, for last year’s Games and to Sochi, Russia, for 2014.
This time there was no room for doubt. Pyeongchang won in a canter, taking 63 votes to 25 for Munich and seven for Annecy as they won by a crushing margin on the first round of voting.
Rogge expressed his surprise, saying the IOC had expected a second round of voting and a much closer margin of victory.
“This is one of the happiest days for our country, our people and millions of youth dreaming of winter sport,” Pyeongchang bid chief Cho Yang-ho said seconds after the announcement. “We have been waiting a long time for this.”
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, part of a bid team that also featured Olympic women’s figure skating champion Kim Yuna, said: “It feels great.”
The South Koreans had strongly emphasized the fact that their country had never before staged a Winter Games, using the slogan “New Horizons,” and reminded the IOC that the event had only twice before been staged in Asia, both times in Japan.
The Munich bid team, led by former Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt and featuring former Bayern captain Franz Beckenbauer, issued a statement saying: “Of course we are disappointed because we came here to become the host of the 2018 Winter Games.”
“But the IOC has decided to award this honor to another candidate and because we are a sporting team, we accept this decision. We always knew that this would be a very tough race alongside two strong competitors,” the statement said.
Annecy bid leader Charles Beigbeder said: “I am very disappointed. We were hoping to be selected, but we congratulate Pyeongchang, who were great competitors.”
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