Nicole Resh, secretary general of the IBU, and Borut Nunar, race director for the IBU World Cup, claimed the site met all the requirements needed to develop venues and facilities for biathlon events in 2022.

Talking to the media after the visit, Nunar said that he was impressed by the site, adding that the natural environment was pleasant, with good air quality and a clear view, and that the plan to build venues close proximity to each other was a positive feature.

The IBU's visit marked the end of a series of seven International Federations' field trips, which have been taking place since the end of August, ahead of the submission of the Beijing 2022 Candidature File to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in January 2015.

In addition to the IBU, the International Ski Federation (FIS), the International Skating Union (ISU), the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the World Curling Federation (WCF), the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) and the International Luge Federation (FIL) visited sites which will feature in Beijing's 2022 Winter Games proposal.

FIS Snowboard director Uwe Beier claims Beijing's ability to host the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games is a clear 'yes' ©Beijing 2022



"I am very pleased with what we found; it reflects what we saw on the maps," said Uwe Beier, FIS Snowboard race director

"It is a very promising terrain with a lot of potential - it needs some modifications here and there but overall it looks very good.

"As far as hosting the Olympic Winter Games is concerned, this is a clear 'yes'.

It is actually a very good location and a very good terrain."

Joseph Fitzgerald, FIS Freestyle coordinator, added: "We work very hard on the design of our competition courses to create a stadium-like atmosphere, a big show and create a big historical moment.

"I believe that this is a very good design for this."

According to Beijing 2022, all seven delegations were pleased with the visit with four having now delivered venues certifications to the Bid Committee.

Beijing has just one opponent in the race to host the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games - Almaty in Kazakhstan.

The IOC are due to elect the 2022 host city at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 31, 2015.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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