Olympics | South Korea to honour Bach for Pyeongchang contribution

The South Korean government is to award International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach with the country’s highest sporting honour for his role in helping make the Pyeongchang Winter Games a success, the sports ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry added that no date had been set yet for Bach to receive the Cheongryong Medal.

FILE PHOTO: President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach poses with members of the staff during the PyeongChang 2018 Torch Relay ahead of the start of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea February 9, 2018. REUTERS/Florian Choblet/Pool

Pyeongchang brought the curtain down on Asia’s first Winter Games outside Japan on Feb. 25. Despite issues such as a norovirus outbreak and extreme temperatures in the first week of competition, organisers were widely praised for running a polished Games.

Other former recipients of the Cheongryong (blue dragon) honour include 2010 Olympic figure skating gold medallist Kim Yuna and Dutchman Guus Hiddink, who coached the Korean national soccer team to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.

(REUTERS)