THE BIG PICTURE: “Don’t even consider building a venue if there is not a 50-year legacy plan”

Although not designed as an activist organization, the Associated Press is keeping the pressure on officials of the Gangwon Province in Korea with a story on Wednesday headlined “Costly Pyeongchang Olympic venues could eventually be razed.”

The story outlined the continuing issues over the future of the alpine skiing course, the hockey and skating arenas, sliding course and ski-jump facilities. That doesn’t count the $100 million stadium used for ceremonies and then dismantled.

Said IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games Christophe Dubi (SUI), “We’ve never been shy to raise concerns about the legacy of some of the venues (in Pyeongchang) that we read about right now.

“I can tell you for ’26, we are ruthless on this: Don’t even consider building a venue if there is not a 50-year legacy plan.”