Beijing gets good report from IOC inspectors
Print Edition
BEIJING is capable of hosting a successful Winter Olympic Games, a top official from the International Olympic Committee said yesterday.
“Our visit confirms that Beijing is capable of hosting a successful Games,” said Alexander Zhukov, the IOC’s chief inspector and chairman of a 19-member evaluation commission, at the end of a five-day visit to the Chinese capital.
“It has been a productive and informative visit,” he said, adding that he will “leave with a much greater understanding” of the city’s bid for the 2022 Games.
The “Olympic spirit from 2008 is alive and stronger than ever,” Zhukov said.
The IOC will announce its decision on who will host the Games on July 31 in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Just two cities, Beijing and Almaty in Kazakhstan, are in the running.
Wang Anshun, the city’s mayor and president of its bid committee, said that if awarded the event, Beijing will deliver an “economical Games.”
He pledged to lower costs “through thorough marketing, and the proper arrangement of venues and activities.”
A Chinese legislator said that Beijing can keep costs down by taking advantage of the facilities it developed for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
“The legacy of the Beijing Games is the biggest advantage for the 2022 bid,” said Yang Xiaochao, a deputy to the National People’s Congress.
Despite the positives, Beijing has a negative: pollution.
Zhukov, however, said that this needn’t be a stumbling block to a successful bid.
“China recognizes that air quality remains a problem,” but “temporary measures could significantly improve air quality during the Games,” he said.
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