IOC: Key elements in place in Beijing for 2022 Olympic Winter Games

GENEVA -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission on Monday released a comprehensive assessment report highlighting the opportunities and challenges associated with hosting the Olympic Winter Games in 2022 in both candidate cities, Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Beijing (China).

The report confirmed that Beijing has the key elements in place to stage a highly successful Olympic Winter Games in 2022.

It also recognized the significant impact the Beijing 2008 Games had on the city and that hosting the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing "has benefited the 2022 bid and would benefit a 2022 Beijing Games across many operational areas."

According to the report, Beijing's vision for the Games "seeks to incorporate winter sports into people's lives, with the ultimate goal of improving overall fitness and health."

For Almaty, the report said the bidding is rooted in the desire to accelerate economic and social reforms, to build on the country' s winter sports heritage, and to showcase the positive aspects of Almaty and Kazakhstan.

The IOC Evaluation Commission for the Olympic Winter Games 2022,

chaired by Alexander Zhukov, made on-site inspections from Feb. 14 to 18 in Almaty and from March 24 to 28 in Beijing respectively.

"Both cities have been regularly encouraged to reflect the spirit of Olympic Agenda 2020 in their bids, including reforms designed to allow greater flexibility in the bid process, a stronger emphasis on legacy, lower costs and a greater focus on sustainability," said IOC in a statement issued on Monday.

The 2022 candidate cities briefing will be held on June 9 and 10 in Lausanne.

The host city for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games will be elected at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur following a final presentation by the cities to the full IOC membership on July 31.