Korean Olympians enjoying Olympics thanks to WOA

22 | 2 | 2018

Sixty Olympians from South Korea have been enjoying the action and celebrations at PyeongChang 2018 courtesy of World Olympians Association, as part of a special collaboration with the Korean Olympians Association.

Olympians, representing 18 different sports and multiple generations from across South Korea, are in PyeongChang watching events including luge, ice hockey, freestyle skiing and curling. A smaller group also joined Olympians from around the world at WOA’s exclusive OLYmpians Party which took place in PyeongChang on Thursday at Slovenia House.

“It was important to us that Olympic alumni from past Games living in Korea had the opportunity to be a part of the remarkable celebration of sport taking place in PyeongChang,” said WOA President Joël Bouzou OLY.

“The Olympic Games are about inclusion, solidarity and respect and what better way to recognise the athletes who have gone before and paved the way for us than by ensuring they continue to be honoured in the present. We hope this small token of our respect for the Olympians of Korea helps them feel connected to the Games and allows them to create some special new Olympic memories in PyeongChang.”

Among the group are numerous high-profile South Korean athletes such as Hyun Jung-Hwa (table tennis), a world and Olympic champion and ITTF Half of Fame inductee, who was a member of the first ever Unified Korean table tennis team that won gold at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships. Other renowned athletes include double Olympic gold medallists Shim Kwon-Ho (wrestling), Kim Kyung-Wook (archery), Kim Dong-Moon (badminton) and world and Olympic champion Park Jang-Soon (wrestling). Also in the party is Kim Ha-Yoon (Nordic skiing), the first South Korean to participate in a Winter Games at Squaw Valley in 1960.

Photo credit: IOC / Matt Stockman