South Korean organizers are progressing well in their preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, but must focus on successfully delivering what would be an increasing number of warm-up events as the Games draw closer, an International Olympic Committee official said Wednesday after an inspection visit. Gunilla Lindberg, who heads the IOC's coordination commission for the Pyeongchang Games, said in a news conference that although there was ''still a lot of work to do'' the South Koreans were on track to deliver a ''great Olympic Winter Games for Korea and the world.'' Lindberg has led an IOC delegation on a three-day inspection visit to South Korea to observe the construction of competition venues and discuss with organizers operational plans for the Games. Pyeongchang's organizers last month held their first round of test sports events, including World Cup downhill and super-G races, at Olympic snow venues, including a newly-built downhill course in the county of Jeongseon. Organizers will host 24 more test events at Olympic venues through November next year, including a World Cup short-track speed skating event in December this year. Yang-ho Cho, chief of Pyeongchang's organizing committee and chairman of Olympic sponsor Korean Air, said organizers would continue to work closely with the IOC and international sports federations as they enter the ''critical operational phase of the Games.'' (For more sports news andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/192083.aspx
