Detail

`The 11th Winter Olympics opens on February 3, 1972, at Sapporo, Japan. The 11-day winter sports events will be held in the Makomanai main rink and 15 other games sites. The sacred Olympic fire, carried by teams of relay runners all the way from Ancient Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic games, arrived at Sapporo on January 28 to burn at the main rink during the winter pageantry. A total of 1,200 competitors, accompanied by 500 athletic officials, from 35 countries will participate in six sports, totaling 35 events which include skating (figure and speed), ski (alpine and nordic), ice hockey, biathlon, bobsleigh and luge. The Republic of Korea has sent a highly selected team of five athletes-one man and three women speed skaters and one woman figure-skater. Accompanied by two sports officials, they, though small in number, are expected to do their utmost in their respective competitions. In honor of the winter Olympiad, the first such to be held in Asia, and as an expression of the Nation`s hope for success of its athletes, the Ministry of Communications is issuing these two stamps.`