Beijing 2022: IOC still waiting on word from China as to whether fans can attend Winter Olympics
- IOC operations director insists ‘no decision’ has been made yet regarding local fans being allowed to enter ‘closed loop’
- ‘We are in a place that is safe and the behaviour of the people is very well understood and applied,’ Pierre Ducrey says
The International Olympic Committee said it is still waiting on a decision from Beijing 2022 as to whether there will be fans at the 2022 Winter Olympics, and how that will play into China’s much publicised “closed loop” management system to quell the spread of Covid-19 during the Games.
Pierre Ducrey, the IOC’s Olympic Games operations director, said they are still waiting on word from Chinese officials, as first reported by Inside the Games.
The Olympics are set to kick off on February 4 and run until the 20th at a number of venues in and around Beijing, which will become the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympics in modern history.
“On the circumstances around which fans will be able to come to the venues and how this will take place, I would refer to the Organising Committee,” Ducrey said. “There has been no decision at this point in time.”
Beijing 2022 will impose a “closed-loop management system” according to organisers, which means that all attendees, including volunteers, officials and athletes will be inside a bubble scenario within each venue and accompanying infrastructure.