The 2018 Winter Olympics are just around the corner. And, no, they aren't being held in Seoul.
It remains to be seen whether Russia will be permitted to compete at the Winter Games, and we already know the NHL won't be sending its players to participate. But here's what we do know about the location of the XXIII Olympic Winter Games:
They are in PyeongChang, South Korea.
The Feb. 9-25 ceremonies mark the second time South Korea has hosted the Olympics following the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. The official Olympics website highlights the area as one that emphasizes both intimacy and expansion:
Its Winter Games plan is one of the most compact in Olympic history, it offers a unique stage on which the world's best athletes can achieve superior performances. With PyeongChang's strategic position in Asia, and its access to a young and fast growing youth market, the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will no doubt expose new generations of potential athletes to the power of winter sport.
PeyongChang will utilize an array of venues for the Games, including the Alspensia Resort, Bokwang Snow Park, Jeongseon Alpine Centre, Gangneun Olympic Park and the Kwandong Hockey Centre. Fifteen different sports will be represented in 102 events across those venues, with Alspensia's ski centers serving as the central location for the Games.
Some more backstory on PyeongChang, which succeeds Sochi (2014), Vancouver (2010), Turin (2006) and Salt Lake City (2002) as Winter Olympics hosts: It was awarded the 2018 Games over Munich, Germany, and Annecy, France. PyeongChang is also actually a county in a northeastern province of South Korea, touting a population of more than 43,000 and positioned in the Taebaek Mountains region, just over 100 miles from Seoul, the nation's capital.
The county's slogan, "Happy700," boasts about PyeongChang's average elevation of 700 meters, which apparently offers residents one of the "best places" for health, rest and sports in the world.
