By Nick Butler at the Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant in Beijing

Evaluation Commission chair Alexander Zhukov arrives in Beijing flanked by Chinese Olympic Committee President Liu Peng (left) and Beijing Mayor and bid leader, Wang AnshunBeijing 2022 officials have outlined the "sustainability" of their Olympic and Paralympic bid as well as the benefits they claim it would bring to the global winter sports community on the eve of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission visit opening here.


Although the Chinese bid remains widely seen as the favourite in the two-horse race, the less compact nature of their effort in comparison with that of their only surviving rival Almaty has been seen as a weakness, particularly in the context of the IOC's Agenda 2020 reform process.

During the inspection of the Kazakh city last month, Commission chair Alexander Zhukov praised Almaty's "flexibility" and willingness to adapt its bid to further embrace the key reformist themes of sustainability and affordability.

But speaking hours after the arrival of Zhukov in the capital city here today, Beijing 2022 media and communications director Wang Hui insisted their bid still conformed with the Agenda 2020 spirit, even suggesting a more compact bid would have been less beneficial.

"I believe the scattered distribution of these venues will be conducive to the post-Games use of these facilities, because China has a huge population," she said.

"If you concentrate all the venues and facilities on one venue, the biggest concern might be the post Games use of these facilities."

There has been criticism of the long distance between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, although it is hoped a high-speed rail line should reduce the journey to under an hour ©Beijing 2022There has been criticism of the long distance between Beijing and Zhangjiakou, although it is hoped a high-speed rail line should reduce the journey to under an hour ©Beijing 2022



Wang, also a senior figure in the Beijing Municipal Government, admitted there is a "possibility" changes could be made to their bid following this week to further fit with the IOC's wishes.

Eight such changes to Almaty's Bid Book proposals, including the scrapping of two venue sites, have been confirmed following the visit, with total savings of $550 million (£360 million/€498 million) projected when operating and infrastructural budgets are combined

Many figures are bound to be sceptical over Beijing's claims their bid can be equally affordable, although officials claim the most expensive costs associated to their bid, including the high speed rail line linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou, are non-Games related and were envisaged before the bid was launched.

In a wide-ranging discussion this evening, Wang also reiterated the attraction of a Chinese Games to the international winter sport community, claiming it would bring commercial interest and opportunities for foreign coaches, as well as millions of new athletes. 

Winter sport is already on the rise in the world's most populous nation, she claimed, and the Games would help enhance that, as well as boost the profile of the winter sports venue at Zhanjiakou, 190 kilometres to the north-west of Beijing.

But she did not agree with claims that, after a Summer Olympics in 2008, a Youth Olympic Games in 2014 and a World Athletics Championships this summer, as well as various other major events, China is now hosting too many global sporting competitions.

Beijing 2008 and Nanjing 2014 have provided China with vast experience, both in terms of organising a Games and in working within the Olympic Movement ©Getty ImagesBeijing 2008 and Nanjing 2014 have provided China with vast experience, both in terms of organising a Games and in working within the Olympic Movement
©Getty Images



China has still held less Games than Japan and many other nations, she claimed, having hosted nothing for the first 112 years of modern Olympic history, before adding how the Olympics should always be awarded to the nation with the best bid.

The Evaluation Commission inspection will officially open with a Ceremony at the Intercontinental Beijing tomorrow, before five days of meetings and site visits, both here, in Zhangjiakou and in the third venue hub halfway between the two in Yanqing.

Another challenge for Beijing, as for Almaty, will be questions over its human rights record, with a coalition of 175 pro-Tibet groups publishing a report last week accusing China of having "failed to keep its promises" over improving human rights when it staged the 2008 Games.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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