Enough snow for 2022 Games, says Beijing bid team
Xinhua, June 2, 2015 Adjust font size:
Beijing and Zhangjiakou had enough snow for hosting the Olympic Winter Games 2022, said Beijing bid team on Tuesday.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) released on Monday the report by the evaluation commission for the Olympic Winter Games 2022, which highlighted the opportunities and challenges associated with hosting the Games in 2022 in both candidate cities, Almaty and Beijing.
Snow conditions and water management were regarded as a challenge for the Winter Games bidding.
"Winter sports is developing fast in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, which indicates that this area is capable of hosting winter sports events," said Zhao Yinggang, vice secretary general of Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee.
"Zhangjiakou welcomed 26 snow occurrences last year. Yanqing was snowing on May 9 this year and May 12 last year. At the same time, our snow-making system and snow-cleaning system can also meet the standard of the Winter Games," he added.
Air quality was one of the hottest topics on Tuesday's press conference, and Beijing's air remained as one of the major concerns of the media.
"Zhangjiakou is the best city in the north of the Yangtze River in terms of air quality, and Yanqing is an area with the best air in Beijing, " said Fang Li, head of the Environmental Protection department in Beijing bid team.
"In the urban area of Beijing, which attracts the most attention, air quality improvement is considered as a livehood project by the local government."
"Beijing's air is getting better and better," Fang added.
The question about the athlete experience went to 2010 Winter Olympics champion Zhao Hongbo.
"As an athlete who had experienced four Olympics, I could feel the difference in each of the host city," Zhao said.
"China has a long history, and the traditional Chinese culture will play an important part in the Winter Games."
The host city for the Olympic Winter Games 2022 will be elected at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur following a final presentation by the cities to the full IOC membership on July 31. Endi