Olympic Training Village

About three weekends ago I had the opportunity to visit the Korean National Olympic Training Center 태릉선수촌. A rare privilege, as the center is not open to the general public. I happen to know someone working at the center who, after a year of begging, sneaked me in for a private tour one Sunday afternoon.

Here are some photos. A glimpse into where South Korea's national athletes prepare for international competitions. The photos are of course selective of my interest in martial arts. The climbing ropes are used by the wrestling and judo athletes to strengthen their arms and grip. The treadmill has connected to it targets for kicking used by the Taekwondo athletes. They basically run and kick at the same time. I merely posed on it. The following photo with the punching bags are also part of the Taekwondo gym. Below that is the general weight-training gym, the weightlifting stage and the gymnastics hall. The last photo was of my lunch meal there. The athletes have a buffet style meal and consumes roughly 5000 calories a day.