The Olympics was an international winter event that occurred between February 9 and 25. The host is Pyeongchang County. Most of the opening games were on the 8th of February. The selection of the venue as the best destination is based on some factors; most of these factors relate to the environment as well as security, which have been experienced in the region for a considerable period. The fact that it was the first time South Korea hosted such an event made it possible to scale some operations in the region. Ideally, that was the third time in which an East Asian country got the opportunity to host such an event after the execution of the Sapporo in 1972 as well as the Nagano in 1998.
The games were comprehensive enough and featured over 102 events. The total number of sports is 15, and the existence of the big air served as an addition. The total number of athletes for the competition is close to 2914. Most of the participating countries originated from the NOC, with some 92 participants. Some outstanding nations that took part in the event include Eritrea, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Singapore (Merkel, Udo, and Misuk 23). During the 2014 Winter Olympics, it was evident that doping was prevalent in the region. That gave rise to a state-sponsored doping program and later resulted in the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee. The existence of a fair space in the competition was necessary for rewarding strengths. Tense relations were evident in the region, and that is the main reason why South Korea agreed to be part of the game.
Norway stood out in the whole game and managed to lead in the total number of medals. The state managed to obtain 39 medals, which is a commendable move in the region. Germany came second with 31 medals. The third was Canada, which managed to secure 29 medals. The analysis of the number of gold indicates that Germany and Norway tied with each other, winning 14 golds. South Korea managed to secure 17 medals, which signifies the highest number of medals won in the Winter Olympics. Out of the 17, five medals were Gold.
Pyeongchang tried its very best to host 2010 as well as 2014 Winter Games but lost due to the level of political instability in the region as well as the lack of the best infrastructure to meet demands. Munich also tried its very best to hold the games but later lost to Beijing, which secured the bid for the 2022 games (Essex, Stephen, and Jiska 90). In case Munich managed to acquire such a chance, it was likely to go in history as the first city to host the Summer as well as the Winter Games. In 1972, Munich managed to host the Summer Olympics. That transpired even after securing only 25 votes. Annecy tried their very best to obtain the bids, but they never saw the light of day due to a lack of public interest. The local citizens thwarted their chances of moving to the top due to some personal interests. The ability to receive only seven votes made it hard to achieve the necessary progress that was useful in the region.
In conclusion, Pyeongchang remained relevant after garnering the majority of votes of 48. The one round of voting indicates the level of confidence that stakeholders expressed. That made the city the third Asian City to host such a game. The other cities to hold such as the Sapporo in 1972 as well as Nagano in 1998.
Works Cited
Essex, Stephen J., and Jiska de Groot. “The Winter Olympics: Driving Urban Change, 1924–2022.” Olympic Cities. Routledge, 2016. 84-109.
Merkel, Udo, and Misuk Kim. “Third time lucky!? PyeongChang’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics–politics, policy and practice.” The International Journal of the History of Sport 28.16 (2011): 5-2383.
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