Sports
22:22, 07-Feb-2018
IOC President Bach excited for emotional joint ROK-DPRK entrance
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The 132nd Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) concluded in PyeongChang, the Republic of Korea (ROK), on Wednesday with the meeting focused primarily on the Winter Olympics that begin on Friday.
One of the most talked about aspects in the build-up to these Games is the participation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) who in January, after holding its first high-level talks with the ROK in two years, decided to send a delegation of 22 athletes to PyeongChang.
In the press conference following the meeting, IOC President Thomas Bach spoke at length about this historic moment and is eagerly anticipating the opening ceremony when the ROK and DPRK delegations will march together under a unified flag.
The DPRK's 12-women ice hockey team and other members of delegation cross the border into the ROK via the immigration office in Dorasan, north of Seoul, the Republic of Korea. /VCG Photo
The DPRK's 12-women ice hockey team and other members of delegation cross the border into the ROK via the immigration office in Dorasan, north of Seoul, the Republic of Korea. /VCG Photo
This entrance will be an especially emotional one for Bach who has personal experience competing for a divided country. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Bach represented West Germany in fencing and went on to win a gold medal in the team foil.
The first time the two Koreas marched together was at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and Bach was part of the negotiating team that helped bring about that occasion.
Now as the head of the IOC, Bach is proud to once again be involved with the ROK and the DPRK coming together on the Olympic stage as the power of sport helps to temporarily re-unite the Korean Peninsula, which has been divided since 1945.