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Beijing, Almaty conclude 1st-round presentations to IOC

Xinhua, June 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Candidate cities Almaty of Kazakhstan and Beijing of China concluded their first round presentations for bidding the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Tuesday.

Both delegations were given the opportunity to demonstrate their advantages as the host city in front of the 85 of the 101 members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Apart from the 85 IOC members present, the presidents and general secretaries from different International Federations could all raise questions to the delegations.

Beijing Olympics bidding team made the presentation after Almaty.

"Everybody had a good performance during the presentation and they were confident, meaningful and to the point," Yang Lan, a famous Chinese anchorwoman as well as a member of the Beijing team, told the press.

IOC president Thomas Bach said of Tuesday morning's presentation that balanced budgets focusing on sustainability and affordability could be seen in both bids, following the reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020.

"It was really impressive to see how both cities had embraced the reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020 just six months after the recommendations were unanimously approved by the IOC," he said.

The IOC Evaluation Commission visited both cities earlier this year, delivered an assessment report early June, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses.

According to the report, Beijing has the prerequisites to stage highly successful Olympic Winter Games in 2022.

The report also acknowledged the success of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing "has benefited the 2022 bid and would benefit a 2022 Beijing Games across many operational areas."

For Almaty, the report said its bidding is rooted in the desire to accelerate economic and social reforms, to build on the country's winter sports heritage, and to showcase the positive aspects of Almaty and Kazakhstan.

The IOC will choose the host city for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games during its 128th session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31.

While both Kazakhstan and China are vying for the first time of the hosting right for the Winter Games, Beijing will be the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games if it succeeds. Endi