OTTAWA, July 7, 2011 – The Canadian Paralympic Committee congratulates the PyeongChang 2018 Bid Committee which today earned the right to host the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea.
“Hosting a Paralympic Games is a prestigious honor and opportunity for a nation,” said Henry Storgaard, CEO and Secretary General of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. "The Canadian team looks forward to bringing a strong contingent to compete in the beautiful setting of PyeongChang.”
Beginning with the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games, Korea has worked diligently to raise awareness and expand sports facilities for people with a disability. The PyeongChang region has pledged to stage two sanctioned Paralympic sport events per year leading up to 2018 to help promote Paralympic sport in the area, train staff and test venues. Their winning bid promised the most compact and accessible venues ever, with athletes just 30 minutes from all competition venues and most within five to 10 minutes.
“The Paralympic Games are the pinnacle of sporting competition for athletes with a disability and we are thrilled for Korea to be awarded this opportunity,” said Storgaard. “We also congratulate the two other candidate cities on their strong bids: Annecy, France and Munich, Germany.”
Canada has competed at all 10 previous Winter Paralympic Games, starting in 1976 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. At the Vancouver 2010 Winter Paralympic Games, Canada placed third in both total medals and gold medals, winning 10 gold, five silver and four bronze.
About the Canadian Paralympic Committee
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 46 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee’s vision is to be the world’s leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian Paralympic athletes and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.
For further information, please contact:
Alison Korn
Manager, Media Relations
Canadian Paralympic Committee
Tel: 613-569-4333 ext. 243
Cell: 613-298-4927
akorn@paralympic.ca
Web:
Paralympic.ca
Facebook:Facebook.com/CDNParalympics
Twitter:@CDNParalympics
YouTube:
YouTube.com/CDNParalympics
