The Russian Olympic Committee together with the Korean Tourism Organization embodied the ‘Road to Olympic Korea’ project within the ‘House of Fans’ project.
Its main aim is to support the Russian Olympic team at the coming competitions and to promote the 2018 Games on the territory of the RF.
Legendary athletes became participants of the project, such as two-time Olympic champions in Figure Skating Tatyana Volosojar and Maxim Trankov, silvery and bronze medalist of the 2010 Olympic Games in Speed Skating Ivan Skobrev and two-time Olympic champion in Biathlon Svetlana Ishmuratova. They were joined by Anita Tsoy – honored artist of Russia, official ambassador of the Fans House in Korea.
The triumphants of the 2017 Sochi Maxim Trankov and Tatyana Volosozhar gave master class to the students of the Figure Skating school in Suvon, and met with a famous South Korean Figure Skater Un E Gi. In the interview with the ROC TV the athletes mentioned the high level of preparedness of the Olympic venues and wished luck to the new generation of Russian athletes.
– No need to worry that in Korea everything will be held at the highest level, said Maxim Trankov. Those venues that we’ve seen are ready in general. If something is not, it’s in the surrounding area. Inside we saw sports arenas. We asked what they planed to do with them afterwards, and they told us how they will be restructured into new sports facilities. Thus the training skating rink will turn into a swimming pool. As a result the sports palace will become a unique athletic facility, in which two sports, winter and summer, will be combined. I think, it’s a good idea for spots development in the country.
Korea produced the best impression and I am happy that it will host the next after Sochi winter Games.
I wish our guys to go to the Olympic Games. Since even if at least some of the accusations brought against us are partially true, young athletes will go to Korea. Taking for example the Figure Skating team, no one could ever say that Yevgenia Medvedeva could be involved any scandals in her 14-15 years. Why deny her the opportunity to prove her skills once again. Figure Skating is beauty, grace, talent. That is what Medvedeva is best in. Why deny the viewers the opportunity to admire her? Besides, it’s even not the athletes, but the Olympic movement and the Olympic spirit that will suffer most.
First of all I would like to wish the guys not to win at the Olympic Games but simply to come here. Because if they will come, then I am sure even the youngest ones will better their results a great deal, since they know at what price they came here and that their success is important for the country. I think they will try their hardest to win medals.
– It is great that we had a chance to step on the Olympic ice first, said Tatyana Volosozhar. Thanks to the organizers for this opportunity . The ice is of great quality. It reminds me the ice at the Iceberg sports palace in Sochi. Probably it’s the color.
What is really important for me is that the energetics at the sports hall was also positive. They are finishing the central tribune for the audience, but the ice is almost 100% ready.
The figure skaters will share it with the shorttrackers. However, the competitions should be held with a certain ice temperature. For Figure Skating it’s a little higher. However, other Olympic Games’ experience shows that changes of ice temperature should not affect its quality.
I would like to wish our team to move forward to its goal, to pay no attention to any comments and even wishes. We have a shared goal and I know we will reach it. I wish them luck and success and keep my fingers crossed.
The ‘Road to Olympic Korea’ project demonstrates what ‘Korean sports and lifestyle’ means.
During a week-long trip around the coming Olympic Games sites our champions visited a few sports venues, including the Gangneung Ice Arena, where in February Figure Skating and Short Track competitions will take place, and Alpensia Ski Resort in Pyeongchang.
They also experienced total immersion in the Korean culture and everyday life: in the village Minsokchon, Yongin, project participants dressed in traditional Korean clothes and discovered simple people’s lifestyle.
In Inchon the Olympians visited the Paradise City entertainment-business center, where they admired world art masterpieces and visited the presidential Suite and casino. In Seul they climbed the Seoul Sky Observatory, located on the 123-floor of the country’s tallest building – the Lotte World Tower. In Gangneung, the Russian delegation visited the Haslla Art World arts theme park, a cultural platform to showcase the works of Korean and foreign artists, the Ojukheon House, a historical monument of the XVI century (the oldest wooden structure in Korea). And, of course, peeked into the future Fans House!
