Eight days before the start of the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang (9. till 25. February) the Olympic Village was officially opened on Thursday. During the course of the day, the first of the approximately 2900 expected athletes will move into their rooms. The athlete accommodation is located in the mountainous region of Pyeongchang and in the coastal town of Gangneung. A total of around 6800 active participants and supervisors can be accommodated.
The North Korean flag was also hoisted on the occasion of the opening. This required a statutory exemption in South Korea, which came into force on Thursday. Normally, displaying the flag of the enemy North is forbidden. The red-white-blue flag can now be seen during the matches at the venues, at medal ceremonies and at the official athlete’s accommodation.
As the first athlete delegation of the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB), the German speed skaters around five-time Olympic champion Claudia Pechstein were expected. The team of the German Speed Skating Association (DESG) had started their trip to Seoul on Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday, IOC President Thomas Bach had already visited the village and checked out his room in the 15th district. With the inauguration of the Olympic Village, the games are really starting,”said Bach.