Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic bid at a glance
Jul 26, 2015, 6:06 AM
FOR STORY OLYMPICS 2022 BID - FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014 file photo, a snowboarder walks past migrant workers near a hotel under construction next to a ski slope at the Chongli ski resort in Hebei province where the Nordic skiing, ski jumping, and other outdoor Olympic events are proposed to be held for Beijing's 2022 bid. The International Olympic Committee will be faced with two starkly different choices, Beijing and Almaty in Kazakhstan , when it selects the host city for the 2022 Winter Games, on July 31 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)n
(AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
The International Olympic Committee will vote Friday on the host city for the 2022 Winter Games, choosing between Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Beijing, which hosted the 2008 Olympics, is seeking to become the first city to stage both summer and winter games.
The voting will take place at the IOC session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Here’s a quick look at the Beijing bid:
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Population: 21 million.
Previous Olympics: 2008 Summer Games.
Previous winter bids: None.
Bid leader: Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun.
Number of venues: 6 existing and 3 planned.
Olympic Villages: 3.
Organizing committee budget: $1.558 billion.
Infrastructure budget: $1.511 billion (not including high-speed rail line between Beijing and mountain venues).
Public Support: 88 percent in Beijing; 92 percent in China (IOC poll results).
Proposed dates: Feb. 4-20.
Slogan: “Joyful Rendezvous upon Pure Ice and Snow.”
Pros: Experience of hosting 2008 Olympics; use of 2008 venues, including “Bird’s Nest” and “Water Cube;” China’s political and economic stability; familiarity with IOC members; seen as safe choice that can be counted on to deliver; potential of developing winter sports market to hundreds of millions of Chinese; strong campaign machine.
Cons: Lack of winter sports tradition, atmosphere and natural snow; heavy reliance on water supplies for artificial snow-making; long distances between Beijing and mountain venues; sense among some IOC members of “been-there-done-that” in Beijing; air pollution; human rights issues.
IOC evaluation report: “Beijing 2022 has offered a regional concept intended to develop a winter sports market for more than 300 million people in northern China.”
Status: Previously a strong favorite, now in a tight race, but still city to beat.
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