SOUTH KOREAN organisers have taken a “solid step forward” in preparations for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang but must speed up work to be ready for test events next year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said yesterday after its latest inspection visit.

IOC co-ordinating chief Gunilla Lindberg said construction was going well but organisers must draw up needed plans and budgets more quickly.

She said that international experts will arrive in Pyeongchang in the next few months to help the inexperienced hosts arrange the test events and sort out administrative details.

Ms Lindberg warned that South Korean officials had to keep several plates spinning for the whole enterprise to be a success.

International ski federation president and senior IOC member Gian-Franco Kasper recently expressed concern that Pyeongchang would not be ready for some scheduled tests, which are needed to test out venues and conditions before the real thing.

Local groups have pushed organisers to spread the games outside of Pyeongchang to cut costs, despite the IOC saying the current plan is final.

Few commercial sponsors have showed interest either, with just five joining the domestic programme.

Top organiser Cho Yang Ho said yesterday: “We will move forward aggressively and with momentum, and our main focus will now be on operations.

”The South Korean government has estimated the cost of the Pyeongchang Olympics at over 11 trillion won (£6.7 billion).

It’s not clear what will happen after the Games to most of the six new competition venues and the stadium built for the Olympics.

by Our Sports Desk