The German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) is awaiting further development in its assessment of the safety situation of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang:”For us, safety for the entire German team is the top priority,” said Alfons Hörmann in a DOSB press release:”Discussions about possible concrete measures are currently considered premature.
The DOSB stressed that the situation in South Korea had been the “most important topic” at a meeting of the Executive Board on Monday and that it was “in constant contact with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Federal Foreign Office”.
“Over the next few months, we will keep a close eye on the situation and developments and will continue to exchange views with both the IOC and the Federal Foreign Office on an ongoing basis.On this basis, together with the winter sports associations, we will be examining responsibly how to proceed so that unacceptable risks can be excluded in the best possible way,”said Hörmann.
In a few days’ time, a delegation led by top athletic director Dirk Schimmelpfennig, who is to act as head of the German team’s mission in Pyeongchang, will travel to South Korea once again and “make further important preparations on the spot”.
Last week, France and Austria were the first sports nations to declare that they would consider abandoning the start for safety reasons.Ski racer Felix Neureuther had caused a sensation in Germany with his announcement that, due to the tensions between the USA and North Korea, he might not be able to travel to Pyeongchang.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior, which is responsible for sport, had announced:”A decision on the dispatch of a German Olympic team to the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang will be examined by the Federal Government, the DOSB and the responsible safety authorities in due course”.