This was confirmed as the IOC's five-day inspection visit concluded here today, with no changes to the bid having yet been disclosed following extensive discussions and venue tours.

In what could be seen as a sign of the IOC's satisfaction with Beijing's bid, this contrasts with changes revealed at the end of the similar-visit to Almaty last month, where the Shymbolak Resort in which Alpine skiing events were due to be held was among those abandoned.

No "major adjustments" will be made to Beijing's bid, the city's Mayor and bid leader Wang Anshun claimed, but some "minor" changes are possible based on the recommendations made, with discussions due to take place over coming weeks.

Changes could still be made following the IOC Candidate City briefing in Lausanne on June 9 and 10, it is understood.

Almaty has already been given a two-week deadline to finalise changes, which they claim will reduce their budget by more than $500 million (£336 million/€466 million).

Beijing Mayor and bid leader Wang Anshun (left) and IOC Evaluation Committee chairman Alexander Zhukov exchanging gifts following the closure of the five-day meeting 
©Beijing 2022




IOC Evaluation Commission chair Alexander Zhukov praised Chinese officials for answering approximately 150 questions over the week in a "timely manner".

Strong Government and public support was also cited, along with "good use of existing venues", the "expertise and knowledge" of the bid team and the fact they have embraced the "spirit and goals of Olympic Agenda 2020".

Zhukov added: "Our visit has confirmed that Beijing is capable of hosting successful Olympic Winter Games in 2022."

But no more details were provided about the railway due to link Beijing and the mountain venue cluster at Zhangjiakou 190 kilometres to the north-west,  which will reduce travel times from over three hours by road to around 50 minutes by train, it is claimed.

This is because the railway, due to be completed in 2019, is "unrelated" to the Games, and was envisaged regardless of the bid being successful, as part of a larger railway network linking the capital city with Bautou, Inner Mongolia.

It will therefore not be included in the wider infrastructural budget.

But, with construction on the line having been reportedly brought forward to be completed in time for the bid, claiming it is "unrelated" appears a convenient means to avoid publicising expensive costs, following global criticism of the $51 billion (£34 billion/€47 billion) of wider infrastructural spending reportedly spent ahead of Sochi 2014. 

Trains will reportedly run every five minutes in peak times during the Games, with athletes, spectators, officials, media and even IOC members expected to use it.

Beijing 2022 officials reported their satisfaction with the inspection when speaking today, but a budget for the high-speed railway has still not been provided ©Beijing 2022




Speaking alongside Zhukov today, IOC executive director for the Olympic Games Christophe Dubi also reiterated how "non-discrimination is important and has to be reinforced".

NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) Human Rights Watch has criticised both Kazakhstan and China for alleged abuses, while pro-Tibet organisations have filed a report to the IOC calling for Beijing's bid to be rejected due to "broken promises" made regarding human rights ahead of the 2008 Summer Games.

"What we have to focus on as an Evaluation Commission is the Games preparation," Dubi claimed.

"But we have always been clear that we will engage with civil society.

"When there is relevance to the Games, and something in line with our values, we will definitely play that [reinforcing] role."

The next major major milestone for both bidders will be the publication of the IOC Evaluation Commission reports, due to be on June 1.

The two cities are then to present to the IOC members at a Candidate City Briefing in Lausanne on June 9 and 10.

A final decision as to which city will host the 2022 Games is then due to be made at the IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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