Venues introduction in Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics bid

Members of the 2022 Evaluation Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) check the sand box of sport stadiums in Beijing on March 25, 2015. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) team is visiting Beijing this week to assess its bid to host the Games ahead of a July vote that the Chinese capital -- which hosted the spectacular 2008 summer Games. (Photo: Xinhua/Gong Lei)

Twelve venues will be used as competition site if Beijing wins the 2022 Winter Olympics bid.

There are also three training sites and a number of non-competition venues prepared for the Games.

For the 12 competition venues, six are ready and six will be newly built. These venues are distributed in three zones -- Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

In addition to satisfying the technical requirements of competition venues, the layout of the venues in the three zones will not only alleviate the pressure on the post-Games use, but also maximally benefit the development of the Olympic winter sports in and around Beijing.

Yanqing and Zhangjiakou zones are located to the northwest of Beijing zone along the Yanshan Mountain Range and favorable in air temperature, average freeze period and snowfall as well as wind speed, making these two locations ideal for the snow sports competitions of Beijing 2022.

The National Indoor Stadium, located in the central area of the Olympic Green, will be the venue for the men's ice hockey competitions. The venue offers 16 athletes' locker rooms with full functions, to ensure that each team has its own. It has a seating capacity of 18,000 and 13 sponsor boxes.

The Wukesong Sports Center, located at the intersection between the extension line of the Chang'an Avenue and the West 4th Ring Road, is 19 kilometers or a 15-minute ride from the Olympic Village. It will be the venue for the women's ice hockey competitions.

The Capital Indoor Stadium will be the venue for the short track speed skating and figure skating competitions. The venue offers 16 athletes' locker rooms and has a seating capacity of 18,000 and 18 sponsor boxes.

The National Aquatics Center will be the venue for the curling competitions. The venue offers 20 athletes' locker rooms and has 4,500 spectator seats, one designated VIP hall, and three sponsor boxes.

The National Speed Skating Oval will be the venue for the speed skating competitions. The venue offers 21 athletes' locker rooms and has 12,000 spectator seats and 28 sponsor boxes.

The National Alpine Ski Center and National Sliding Center are located in the northwest of Yanqing county of Beijing, including venues for bobsled, skeleton, luge and alpine skiing. The bobsled, skeleton and luge tracks are within the National Sliding Center, which will offer a seating capacity of 2,000 and a standing capacity of 8,000. The course for alpine skiing will be in the National Alpine Ski Center, which will offer a seating capacity of 5,000 and a standing capacity of 3,500 to the spectators.

The Nordic Center and Biathlon Center, located in the east of Chongli county of Zhangjiakou, will be the venues for cross country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined and biathlon.

The venue for cross country skiing will be the Nordic Center Cross Country Venue, and the venue for ski jumping will be the Nordic Center Ski Jumping Venue. Nordic combined will take place in both of above venues.

The Genting Snow Park, located in the east of Chongli county, will be the venues for freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions.

The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. The Beijing National Stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, athletic events, and soccer final at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The planning of all the competition venues for Beijing 2022 are completed under the guidance of the IF technical experts. These venues will not only satisfy the design standards of the IOC and the relevant IFs for competition venues, but also take into account the promotion of winter sports in Beijing and in China, creating long-lasting legacies for the future development of these sports during the planning and design stage.

Beijing 2022 has inherited the legacies of Beijing 2008 to the largest possible extent in venue planning, and made the best effort to use existing venues, in order to alleviate the financial pressure from venue construction and implement the concept of sustainable development.