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OlymPicks is an ongoing blog series whereby we highlight news, gossip, and developments regarding the buildup to Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics.
Stoked for the 2022 Olympics? Convinced it'll be a must-watch, gloriously athletic, surefire success? Well, unfortunately not everyone shares your enthusiasm.
In fact, many proponents and onlookers are fretting about attendance and overall interest in the Games in general. That anxiety is due to recent news that less than 23 percent of tickets for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games have been sold. Is this an indication that Olympic fever is dying down? Will Beijing's Winter Games get a similarly chilly reception?
On August 31, Inside the Games reports that the "International Olympic Committee (IOC) has raised significant concerns about ticket sales during the Coordination Commission inspection visit which closes here today."
However, not everyone involved is despairing just yet. That same article says many organizers – such as The Pyeongchang 2018 Organising Committee head Lee Hee-beom, pictured in the lead image above – are placing their faith in the second phase of online sales (which begins on September 5) to pick up the slack. To that end, a spokesperson was quoted as saying: "Koreans are known to be last-minute buyers, so we expect to see an increase in sales in the second phase as the Games get closer."
Aside from attendance, the IOC is also worried about the venues that will house those spectators. Specifically, an AP article (also published on August 31) mentioned "Olympic venues that lie underused after the games is a long-standing problem, and lately hurt the reputation of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro" before adding that Olympic officials found such potential "white elephants" to be a concern during a recent inspection of the Pyeongchang grounds.
Thankfully, Beijing has shown some prudence in that regard. Several key venues from the 2008 Games are now available for public recreation, and a number of those complexes will be repurposed again for the 2022 Games. That, along with the later date (and therefore greater prep time) for the Beijing Winter Games, might just make Chinese sports buffs (not to mention the Middle Kingdom officials) rest a bit easier than their scrambling counterparts in South Korea.
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
Photos: Getty Images
