Beijing makes first official pitch for Winter Olympics

Chen Anshun, mayor of Beijing and the chief of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee, makes a presentation at the ANOC General Assembly in Bangkok, Nov 7, 2014. [Photo by Zhao Yanrong/chinadaily.com.cn]

Pure white snow, red plums, Chinese drums and big smiling faces, but most importantly the list of winter sports sites in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, were to the fore at the venue of the XIX Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) general assembly in Bangkok on Friday.

It was the first official presentation to the ANOC by the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Bid Committee. Existing venues and strong support from local people were highlighted as well as a plan to build more efficient transport links between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the capital's neighboring city which will host some events if Beijing secures the bid.

"It was a good presentation, the setup and facilities are most important for the people who will participate in the Games," said Lassana Palenfo, president of the ANOC of Africa.

Venues used at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games including the National Stadium, National Indoor Stadium, National Aquatics Center, Capital Gymnasium, and the Wukesong Sports Center would all be adapted for events such as ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, short track speed skating and curling.

The Beijing bid has declared the Games would leave a "powerful legacy" by developing a winter sports market for China and East Asia.

"Beijing 2022 offers strong guarantees that the Games in the Beijing-Zhangjiakou area will not only prioritize athletes' needs, but will also be designed in a sustainable and cost-effective way," said Wang Anshun, mayor of Beijing and chief of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee.

"Strong support from the government and people of China, outstanding infrastructure in place from the Beijing 2008 Games, China's extensive experience in hosting major international sporting events, a controlled budget, a pool of experienced professionals, as well as strong support from the business community - all these factors give us great confidence that we can deliver a spectacular, sustainable and safe edition of the Games in Beijing and Zhangjiakou in 2022," Wang added.

Even though most ANOC participants chose not to speak publicly about their impression of Beijing's proposals, Wang was crowded by many countries' International Olympic Committee representatives before and after the presentation.

If Beijing should win the bid it will become the first city to host both winter and summer Olympic Games.

After the withdrawal of Norway's Oslo last month, becoming the fourth city after Sweden's Stockholm, Poland's Krakow and Ukraine's Lviv to pull out of the bidding process, Beijing and Kazakhstan's Almaty are the only remaining candidates.

The IOC will select the winner on July 31 next year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.