Beijing beats Almaty's bid to host 2022 Winter Olympics, Paralympics

PanARMENIAN.Net - Beijing has been chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, beating the bid of Kazakhstan's Almaty, BBC Sport reports.

Having hosted the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese capital will be the first city to host both a summer and winter Games.

Beijing and Almaty were considered outsiders when the 2022 bid race opened two years ago. But after a host of European cities withdrew for political or financial reasons, the Chinese bid beat Almaty by 44 votes to 40 with one abstention.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that Beijing was awarded the Games because it fitted its new agenda for a "stronger focus on sustainability, legacy, and transparency."

Despite expected costs of up to $1.5bn, the IOC said: "Beijing will rely heavily on existing venues, including those built for the Games in 2008, such as the iconic Bird's Nest stadium."

"Thanks to an additional contribution from the IOC of approximately $880mln to support the staging of the Olympic Winter Games in 2022, Beijing is confident that it will either break even or make a profit," the statement added, according to BBC.

The Games, which was supported by former NBA star Yao Ming, will be divided between the capital and the city of Zhangjiakou - which is 118 miles north-west of Beijing and will host the snow events.

Despite concerns about a lack of natural snow in the mountains, and protests from human rights groups, Beijing had been the clear favorite to win the vote after it successfully hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics.