Beijing or Almaty to host 2022 Winter Olympics

Global metropolis Beijing will go head-to-head with the little-known Kazakh city of Almaty for the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics when the International Olympic Committee elects the winner at its session in Malaysia on Friday.

Beijing, which hosted the 2008 Summer Games, is looking to become the first city to be awarded both summer and winter editions of the world’s biggest multi-sports event.

Victory for Beijing would also mean that Asia would host three consecutive Olympics after the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang in South Korea and Tokyo’s 2020 Summer Olympics.

A clear front-runner in the race with even Almaty consultants admitting their bid is the underdog, Beijing banks on its 2008 Olympic experience to convince the 100-plus IOC members in Kuala Lumpur on July 31.

State-of-the-art venues, including the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium, will be used, easing any concerns about preparedness, with China’s economic clout further boosting its chances.

Yet not all is working in Beijing’s favor, including the fact that sliding and skiing events are to be staged in two mountain sites 74 and 180 kilometers away, respectively.

China will also be counting on snow-making machines as it cannot guarantee sufficient snow.

Almaty narrowed the gap in June, scoring points during a presentation to the IOC with its “keeping it real” slogan and images of the towering Thien Shan mountains surrounding the city and plenty of fresh natural snow available.

With the bidding process hit by four withdrawals, including Oslo and Stockholm, over financial concerns or lack of domestic support, the IOC voted in reforms under its Agenda 2020 last year to make bidding more attractive while also reducing the Games costs to reignite interest.