Logo of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang
Hurrah, it’s almost time for the 2018 Winter Olympics – and let’s face it, for us skiers and snowboarders, these are the most exciting ones! This year the Winter Olympics will take place from February 9-25, 2018 in PyeongChang, South Korea. Most snow sports events will be held in PyeongChang, with some events being held in nearby cities Jeongseon and Gangneung. 88 countries have qualified so far and Britain, not usually strong in the Winter Olympics, is predicting a bumper year. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea!
The third time is the charm for South Korea, which had already bid for the 2010 and 2014 Olympics to be held in PyeongChang. These are the third Winter Olympics to take place in East Asia, after Sapporo and Nagano. Events this year will include biathlon, Nordic combined, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, snowboarding, skeleton, bobsleigh, tobogganing, freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, ice hockey, curling, figure skating and speed skating. Korea is 9 hours ahead of Britain so be prepared to wake up in the middle of the night if you want to see all the events live!
The British team is optimistic in the lead-up to the Winter Olympics. Team GB has announced it will send about 60 athletes; the final team list will be announced on January 24 but you can expect to see current hotshots Katie Ormerod, Izzy Atkins and Dave Ryding. Olympic spokespeople report that Britain has decent medal prospects in around a dozen disciplines, particularly speed skating, skeleton, skiing and snowboarding. Hopes are high that this year’s strong British team might break the 4-medal record in the Winter Olympics 1924 (Chamonix) and 2014 (Sochi) in order to pull off the most successful Winter Olympics yet!
Four new disciplines have been added since the Winter Olympics in Sochi four years ago, including mass start speed skating, big air snowboarding, mixed team alpine skiing and mixed doubles curling. Overall, there will be 102 events in 15 sports. The snowboard parallel slalom was eliminated for logistical reasons.
©pyeongchang2018.com
The four ski areas near PyeongChang offer a combined total of more than 50km of pistes and a maximum altitude of 1438m. YongPyong Resort, Phoenix Park, Jeongseon Alpine Centre and Alpensia are each about a half-hour drive from PyeongChang. A day’s lift pass runs slightly more expensive than in the Austrian Alps, at about £50.
Bokwang Snow Park © pyeongchang2018
© pyeongchang2018.com
There are still plenty of tickets left for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Prices vary wildly depending on the event, ranging from about £20 up to over £1000 for the best seats at the opening ceremony. You can buy your tickets online from the Team GB live website, which operates on a first-come first-serve request system. Attendance is relatively low so far so this is the year to go to the Olympics if you haven’t managed to get your hands on Olympic tickets in the past!
British Airways, Korean Air and Asiana Airways all offer direct flights from London to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The flight takes about 11 hours and from there, you’ll have to make your way to PyeongChang and the other Olympic host cities. Alternately, Team GB offers the option to create your own customised package, including flights, transfers, accommodation, tickets and an Adidas merchandise pack.
Logo of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang
Hurrah, it’s almost time for the 2018 Winter Olympics – and let’s face it, for us skiers and snowboarders, these are the most exciting ones! This year the Winter Olympics will take place from February 9-25, 2018 in PyeongChang, South Korea. Most snow sports events will be held in PyeongChang, with some events being held in nearby cities Jeongseon and Gangneung. 88 countries have qualified so far and Britain, not usually strong in the Winter Olympics, is predicting a bumper year. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea!
The third time is the charm for South Korea, which had already bid for the 2010 and 2014 Olympics to be held in PyeongChang. These are the third Winter Olympics to take place in East Asia, after Sapporo and Nagano. Events this year will include biathlon, Nordic combined, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, snowboarding, skeleton, bobsleigh, tobogganing, freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, ice hockey, curling, figure skating and speed skating. Korea is 9 hours ahead of Britain so be prepared to wake up in the middle of the night if you want to see all the events live!
The British team is optimistic in the lead-up to the Winter Olympics. Team GB has announced it will send about 60 athletes; the final team list will be announced on January 24 but you can expect to see current hotshots Katie Ormerod, Izzy Atkins and Dave Ryding. Olympic spokespeople report that Britain has decent medal prospects in around a dozen disciplines, particularly speed skating, skeleton, skiing and snowboarding. Hopes are high that this year’s strong British team might break the 4-medal record in the Winter Olympics 1924 (Chamonix) and 2014 (Sochi) in order to pull off the most successful Winter Olympics yet!
Four new disciplines have been added since the Winter Olympics in Sochi four years ago, including mass start speed skating, big air snowboarding, mixed team alpine skiing and mixed doubles curling. Overall, there will be 102 events in 15 sports. The snowboard parallel slalom was eliminated for logistical reasons.
©pyeongchang2018.com
The four ski areas near PyeongChang offer a combined total of more than 50km of pistes and a maximum altitude of 1438m. YongPyong Resort, Phoenix Park, Jeongseon Alpine Centre and Alpensia are each about a half-hour drive from PyeongChang. A day’s lift pass runs slightly more expensive than in the Austrian Alps, at about £50.
Bokwang Snow Park © pyeongchang2018
© pyeongchang2018.com
There are still plenty of tickets left for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Prices vary wildly depending on the event, ranging from about £20 up to over £1000 for the best seats at the opening ceremony. You can buy your tickets online from the Team GB live website, which operates on a first-come first-serve request system. Attendance is relatively low so far so this is the year to go to the Olympics if you haven’t managed to get your hands on Olympic tickets in the past!
British Airways, Korean Air and Asiana Airways all offer direct flights from London to Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The flight takes about 11 hours and from there, you’ll have to make your way to PyeongChang and the other Olympic host cities. Alternately, Team GB offers the option to create your own customised package, including flights, transfers, accommodation, tickets and an Adidas merchandise pack.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
