Beijing praised for making ‘fast start’ in 2022 Olympics preparation
City is well on track for Winter Games, says IOC
The International Olympic Committee praised Chinese organisers on Wednesday for getting “off to a fast start” in Beijing’s preparations for the 2022 Winter Games.
The IOC’s coordination commission concluded a three-day inspection that included visits to the snow sports venues outside the capital.
It was the panel’s first full visit to Beijing since the city was awarded the games last year, defeating Almaty, Kazakhstan, in the IOC vote. Beijing, which hosted the 2008 Olympics, will be the first city to host both a summer and winter games.
The panel visited the snow sports venues in Zhangjiakou and Yanqing, as well as the indoor ice arenas in Beijing. China plans to build a high-speed rail line linking the city to the mountain clusters.
“We are pleased with what we have learned,” IOC vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. said. “Beijing 2022 is off to a fast start. Initial preparations are well on track.”
Samaranch stepped in for commission chairman Alexander Zhukov of Russia, who returned to Moscow this week for meetings with President Vladimir Putin.