The pre-games for the 2013 Special Olympics kicked off on Wednesday for a three-day run in Pyeong-Chang, Gangwon Province.
PyeongChang, the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympics, will host the Special Games for people with intellectual disabilities from Jan. 26 to Feb. 6 in 2013.
With less than one year to go until the 2013 Games, the three-day event will test the facilities and management at the venues in PyeongChang, according to the organizing committee.
More than 300 athletes and officials from nine countries, including China, Austria, Russia and the Czech Republic are participating in the Pre-Games.
The athletes will compete in 25 disciplines in four different winter sports, including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, short-track speed skating and also figure skating, until Friday for the event.
Na Kyung-won, chairwoman of the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics Organizing Committee, speaks during the opening ceremony of the pre-games for the 2013 Special Olympics in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, Wednesday. (Yonhap News)
Na Kyung-won, chairwoman of the 2013 PyeongChang Special Olympics Organizing Committee, said the test event will be the first step toward making PyeongChang’s games “the most successful and beautiful event.”
The Special Olympics, held every four years, is a sporting event for people with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down’s syndrome.
More than 3,000 athletes from 113 nations will compete at the 2013 Special Winter Games, which will be the country’s first ever Olympic-type winter sports event, the organizer said.
“I believe through the Games we can provide better understanding of intellectual disabilities and provide an opportunity to bring the disabled and non-disabled together,” Na said.
By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldm.com)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
