A raft of honorary ambassadors have been appointed for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, with representatives ranging from business to sport and beyond. Five that stand out are…
Hines Ward – A two-time Super Bowl champion and the MVP of Super Bowl XL, the now retired Hines was born in Seoul, South Korea but his family moved to the United States when he was a year old. He would go on to become a legendary figure as a Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, for whom he spent the duration of his career. Since retiring, Ward has gone on to become an NFL television pundit.
The REAL Olympic medals for the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang. pic.twitter.com/xLKorPehmK
— Hines Ward (@mvp86hinesward) October 12, 2017
Taeyang – One of the stars of the Korean pop band Bigbang, the only boyband to have earned more in a single year are the Backstreet Boys and One Direction. They are also the only K-pop act to feature on Forbes’ Celebrity 100 list. Of his role at the Olympic Winter Games, he said: “I hope more people can share their dreams and passion through the Pyeongchang 2018 Games.”
‘#Taeyang gets in tune with #PyeongChang2018!’ Please look forward to his song dedicated for the Olympics.
More at: https://t.co/d2CL5l0Caf pic.twitter.com/0HEtXiAu22— PyeongChang 2018 (@pyeongchang2018) June 21, 2017
Hyun-jin Ryu – The 30-year-old is a starting pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was snapped up while playing for Hanwha Eagles in Korea for USD 25 million for the 2013 season. His time in the sport may have been curtailed by injury but his emergence has coincided with a massive rise in Korean support for Major League Baseball. Measuring in at 6ft 3in and 255 lbs, he boasts a top speed pitch of about 95mph.
Yuna Kim – The now 27-year-old announced her retirement from competitive skating after Sochi 2014 in which she won silver four years on from her gold at Vancouver 2010, where she was reportedly the highest paid athlete. In the same 2010 season, she made it into Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world.
Park Ji-Sung – The South Korean footballer – now retired – became something of an cult hero during his playing days at Manchester United. While at the Old Trafford club, he won five Premier League titles and the Champions League. He also helped guide his country to the World Cup semi-finals as co-hosts in 2002. In retirement, he has completed a postgraduate degree.
