South Korea‘s alpine snowboarders and mogul skiers will stay outside the athletes’ residence in PyeongChang during the Winter Games, an official from the national skiing governing body said Monday.

South Korea will have 31 athletes competing in snow sports. Of them, five alpine snowboarders taking part in parallel giant slalom events and the freestyle skiers in moguls will not enter the Olympic Village in PyeongChang, 180 kilometers east of Seoul, according to a Korea Ski Association official.

All freestyle skiing competitions and snowboard events will be staged at Phoenix Snow Park, which is about 40 minutes away from the Olympic Village in PyeongChang. The official said that the nine athletes will stay at a resort near the competition venue. 

“To help athletes in PGS events and moguls maintain their best form, they‘ll not enter the Olympic Village,” a KSA official said.

“Since the athletes are familiar with the resort, they’ll be able to maintain a good condition.”

South Korea has never won an Olympic medal in snow sports. For the PyeongChang Olympics, the country is hoping for medals from alpine snowboarder Lee Sang-ho and mogul skier Choi Jae-woo. (Yonhap)