Workers install the Olympic Rings at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, on Jan. 27, 2018. (Image: Yonhap)
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, Jan. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games are certain to be the largest Winter Olympics in history in terms of participating nations and athletes, with the deadline to confirm entries fast approaching, organizing officials said Sunday.
According to the organizing committee, nearly 3,000 athletes from 95 nations have registered to compete at the Feb. 9-25 Olympics. The deadline to finalize entries is 6 a.m. Monday South Korean time.
“The exact numbers of nations and athletes will be determined on Monday, but it’s quite possible we’ll have the largest Winter Olympicshere,” one official said.
Sochi 2014 had a then-record 2,800 athletes from 88 countries.
PyeongChang will also have the most gold medals of any WinterOlympics with 102, thanks to the addition of snowboard big air, mass start in speed skating, mixed doubles in curling and alpine skiing’s team event.
The United States will send 242 athletes to South Korea’s first Winter Olympics, its largest team ever to attend a Winter Games. Canada, another winter sports power, will have about 230 athletes here.
Japan is expected to field 123 athletes, its most for any Winter Olympics held overseas. North Korea has received wild card spots from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and will have 12 women’s ice hockey players joining South Korea’s 23, as part of its record 22-athlete delegation.
(Yonhap)
