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Korea is looking forward to playing host to athletes preparing to compete in the Beijing Olympics this summer. Athletes, especially those from non-Asian countries, are expected to arrive in the country for weeks of training before they head to Beijing.
The Beijing Summer Olympics is less than 200 days away, but before the athletes "bring it on," some will stop over in Korea or Japan for weeks of training before the moment of truth.
Similar weather conditions and an hour-long flight time to Beijing makes Korea a prime training ground. Korea is trying to better accommodate the sports guests who will begin trickling into Korea during the weeks prior to the games.
More than 10,000 of the world's finest athletes will converge in Beijing this summer to compete in over 300 events. The International Olympic Committee has added BMX cycling into the sports program mix in a bid to attract more young audiences.
In fact a team of BMX bikers from the Netherlands will be among those coming to Korea to get accustomed to the Asian climate and overcome the time zone difference.
Several provincial governments are jockeying to attract more foreign athletes. The city of Incheon already has a head start.
Incheon, which will be hosting the 2014 Asian Games, has created a fund called the Vision Fund which allocates US$20 million dollars for helping athletes to train.
The spotlight will no doubt be on China this year, but the games are also offering Korea a chance to live up to the Olympic spirit.
Arirang News
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