IOC chief hails Seoul Olympics’ legacy as ‘model’ for all competitions

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has called the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics a model for all Olympics.

He said this on Oct. 18 in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Seoul Olympic Legacy Forum at Seoul Olympic Parktel in the city’s Songpa-gu Distrct.

Calling the Seoul Olympics “a really unforgettable event” for “people around the world,” he said the tournament was “filled with wonderful games and passion.” He said he arrived in Seoul back then as the IOC’s athlete representative and that Korea, Seoul and the Korean people have since “remained deep in his heart.”

In a 25-minute speech, he praised Seoul Olympic Park, which hosts cultural as well as sporting events, as a “great living example of the Olympic legacy.” Bringing sports and culture together was also the wish of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, he added.

Located in the Bangi-dong neighborhood of Songpa-gu, the park covering 1.45 million square m was built to mark Korea’s landing of the hosting right to the 1988 event and hope for a successful tournament.

Of the stadiums used in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, 93% are still in use, higher than the average, President Bach said, calling Seoul “a model for all Olympics.”

The ultimate goal of the Olympic legacy is to allow people and regional communities to enjoy the benefits of the Olympics for generations long after the event ends, he added, thanking Seoul for creating a good example for keeping the Olympic legacy “alive and breathing.”

The IOC chief also offered his advice for Seoul’s bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

He recommended not to wait until the Olympics end to create a legacy, citing sports programs for children and teenagers being run by the organizing committees of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Hosted by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation (KSPO), the forum was held from Oct. 18-19 under the theme “Olympic Legacy and the Next Generation.” The opening ceremony was attended by about 200 people including Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Cho Yong-man, IOC Ethics Commission Chair Ban Ki-moon, KSPO CEO Cho Hyun Jae and representatives from the Olympic legacy management bodies of 19 countries.

Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

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