Pyeongchang Wins 2018 Winter Olympic Bid

The IOC made it official earlier today and announced that the South Korean town of Pyeongchang has won the honor of hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics.  Of the 95 votes cast, Pyeongchang received 63, Munich 25, and Annecy seven.  Only 45 were needed for a victory.

This was the first time a country had won in a first ballot vote since 1995 when Salt Lake City won.

"I was surprised by the one-round victory," IOC president Jacques Rogge told the Associated Press. "I was surprised by the margin. Definitely the patience and perseverance of the Koreans has been rewarded."

This was the third time in a row that Pyeongchang had bid for the Winter Olympics.  Despite leading in first round voting the past two times, they were beaten out eventually by Vancouver and Sochi, Russia.

The IOC has been attempting to expand the Olympics into new venues recently, with Russia hosting its first Olympic games in the winter of 2014, and South America hosting its first Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the summer of 2016.