“Safety and security are the two most important aspects of preparations for The Games,” the PyeongChang 2018 organizing committee is quoted as saying by Korean media as France said it won’t attend the 2018 Winter Olympics if the crisis on the Korean Peninsula worsens. “It remains the top priority and we are continuing to communicate with all stakeholders, including the National Olympic Committee, on this matter. We are monitoring the current geopolitical situation closely with the South Korean government. Meanwhile, our focus is on the preparation and delivery of a successful Olympics and Paralympic Games in 2018.”
Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, French sports minister Laura Flessel said Thursday France may not attend the Winter Olympics if security cannot be guaranteed. “If this gets worse and we do not have our security assured, then our French team will stay home,” Flessel told RTL radio. “We will not put our team in danger.”
This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.