Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- According to the Chinese Olympic Committee, Beijing and ZhangJiakou city in Hebei have applied to the COC for bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

COC was very pleased with the move, and believed that Beijing and Zhangjiakou had natural conditions and sound facilities to successfully hold the Winter Olympics. To bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics will further promote the development of the Chinese Olympic sports, showcase China’s comprehensive strength, upgrade China’s international influence, and push ahead the social and economic coordination growth between two cities. After studies, COC officially agreed to bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics in the name of Beijing, which will organize ice sports while Zhangjiakou for snow events in Chongli county. COC officially wrote to the IOC on November 3, 2013, to nominate Beijing as bid city for the 2022 Winter Olympics. This joint bid was supported by the Chinese government. The IOC Executive Board will select candidate cities in July, 2014, and decide over the host city at the 127th IOC Session in July 31st, 2015.

Analysis

Beijing boasts for the Olympic legacy as the biggest advantage.

Beijing has the biggest advantage to bid for the Winter Olympics, like competition venues reutilization after the 2008 Summer Olympics and sound urban infrastructure. The Winter Olympics is smaller in scale than the Summer Olympics, and athletes, coaches, officials and media present at Winter Olympics totals about 10,000 plus, only equal to number of athletes at Summer Olympics. After the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing has been building itself into an international sports center, fully utilized its Olympic venues to stage international events one after another, so its power of holding competitions and city reception remains in effect, which is the most favored advantage for Beijing to bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

According to relevant sources, all stadiums in Beijing can undertake ice sports in Winter Olympics, which mainly includes Figure Skating, Short Track Speed Skating, Speed Skating, Curling and Ice Hockey. The National Stadium, Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center, Beijing Workers Stadium and other competition venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics have ice-making conditions. Beijing just needs to construct a speed skating venue for the Winter Olympics. Besides, Chongli has mature ski tracks based on experts’ appraisal, and will rebuild according to the requirements of the Winter Olympics.

The transportation from ice sports venue to snow events places has been an important concerned factor by the IOC, and convenient intercity communication provides another advantage for Beijing.

Disadvantages

A continent can’t hold two consecutive Olympics.

However, Beijing is faced with the dilemma of IOC’s unwritten rule that a continent can’t hold two consecutive Olympics. After the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, is the 2022 Winter Olympics still staged in Asia? Moreover, the 2020 Summer Olympics will kick off in Tokyo, Asia. If Beijing wins the bid, it will really break the rule. In addition, fog weather in Beijing is also a big disadvantage for Beijing to win the bid.

Voice

YANG Yang: Beijing and Zhangjiakou have complementary geographic strength.

In the yesterday afternoon, Beijing and Zhangjiakou have applied for an official bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics to the COC. IOC Member YANG Yang stated that two cities had complementary geographic strength, but for it was close to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games in time, the chance of winning the bid was lessened.

What does the joint bid by Beijing and Zhangjiakou feature? YANG Yang said that Beijing just successfully held the Summer Olympics and boasted for great advantages; its joint bid with Zhangjiakou had geographic complementation; and there were not many cities like Beijing which bids for both Summer and Winter Olympics.

Earlier in 2002, Harbin bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but lost to Vancouver. In 2009, Harbin again applied to COC for the 2018 Winter Olympics, but the General Administration of Sports suggested not to bid. Harbin gave up and finally PyeongChang won the bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.