Beijing vs Almaty: Kazakhs impress IOC with 'Keeping it Real' campaign for Winter Olympics
Delegates say the Kazakhstan team 'nailed' the differences between the two cities in terms of the spirit and traditions of the Games
Seeking to cut into Beijing's status as favourite, leaders of the Kazakh bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics told the IOC on Tuesday that Almaty presents the ideal choice that offers a "real" winter setting with natural snow.
With the vote less than two months away, Almaty leaders also portrayed their bid as being perfectly in tune with the IOC's "Olympic Agenda 2020" reform programme that calls for affordable games and maximum use of existing venues.
"They certainly nailed the bit about snow," IOC vice president Craig Reedie said. "They had pictures of people climbing through three feet of snow."
[Almaty] certainly nailed the bit about snow. They had pictures of people climbing through three feet of snow
Almaty and Beijing made presentations at a "technical briefing" at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne attended by 85 of the International Olympic Committee's 101 members.
The closed-door presentations could be vital in swaying opinion ahead of the secret IOC ballot in Kuala Lumpur on July 31.
Each city was given 45 minutes to explain their bid plans, with another 45 minutes allotted for questions and answers. Almaty went first, followed by Beijing.
"I was very, very agreeably surprised," Canadian IOC member Dick Pound said. "I think they attracted the attention of people who may not have been convinced before. It looks to me like they figured out all of the weaknesses of the competitors and they just nailed the differences - snow, water, air, experience."
Beijing, which hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, has long been considered the favourite. Underdog Almaty has countered with the slogan "Keeping it Real" to set itself apart as the bid offering true winter sports tradition, setting and conditions.
Reedie said Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov, who headed the Almaty delegation, gave an impressive performance.
Watch: China announces bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games
