Pyeongchang organizers set up group to organize test events

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang have set up a special body in charge of arranging test events for the games, addressing one of the major concerns raised by international sports officials.

The organizing committee says Monday it created the ''Pyeongchang Winter Series Foundation'' to run the sports test events that will be crucial in evaluating venues and conditions ahead of the games.

Gian-Franco Kasper, head of international ski federation FIS, recently expressed concern that test events would not be ready for next year. The IOC has also pushed South Korean organizers to speed up preparations.

Pyeongchang says 28 test events will be held between February 2016 and April 2017.

Organizing committee chief Cho Yang-ho says ''there isn't much time left'' and ''now it is time for all of us to come together and gear up for games preparations.''