2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing to boost sports infrastructures in Far East - ROC chief

KUALA LUMPUR, August 1. /TASS/. The decision to select Beijing as the capital of the 2002 Winter Olympics will have a favorable effect on sports infrastructures in the Far East, the head of Russia’s national Olympic committee, Aleksandr Zhukov, told TASS. On Friday, it was announced that Beijing won the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The choice was made at the 128th session of the International Olympic committee in Kuala Lumpur. Beijing’s bid collected four votes more than that of its closest rival, Almaty (44 against 40). "It goes without saying that in the Far East, the Kamchatka Peninsula and in Sakhalin it will be possible to create conditions for training Russian athletes, including Alpine skiers. After Pyeongchang, too, this region will be in great demand among the enthusiasts of winter sports," Zhukov said. Olympic Games will be held in Asia for a third time in a row (after Pyeongchang-2018 and Tokyo-2020). Beijing has become the first city to host both summer and winter Olympics. Competitions in Beijing will be held at three sites: central Beijing (the opening ceremony, figure skating, short track, ice hockey, curling, and skating), Beijing’s northwestern county Yanqing (Alpine skiing, bobsled, tobogganing, and skeleton) and Zhangjiakou (skiing, ski jumping, biathlon, freestyle and snowboarding). Read more