Beijing's 2022 bid is impressive

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is impressive, said organizers for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on Thursday.

"I think it's very impressive that Beijing is bidding for the Winter Olympics after hosting the Summer Games," Mario Andrada, chief spokesman for the Rio 2016 organizing committee, told Xinhua.

"Overall, it's a beautiful story for the race between Beijing and Almaty."

The Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics was hailed as "truly exceptional" by then IOC president Jacques Rogge. With its 2022 bid concept of hosting athlet-centered, sustainable and economical Games, China looks to making further contribution to the Olympic Movement.

"Beijing is one of the major cities in the world. The competition between Beijing and Almaty brings a lot of positive factors to the Olympic Movement.

"I understand that part of the issues discussing the Agenda 2020 is to create a more modern process of selecting host city and a modern way of dealing with the Games. This is the positive contribution," he said.

The IOC will choose the host city for the 2022 Games at its 128th session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31. Beijing will become the first city ever to host both the summer and winter Games if it wins the bid.