Beijing Seeks To Be First City Awarded Summer And Winter Olympic Games

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- Beijing is banking on its successful hosting of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games to be voted to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Beijing's selection will make it the first city to be awarded both summer and winter Olympics. The Beijing Winter Olympic Games Bid Committee delegates started the city's one-hour presentation with a video message by Chinese President Xi Jinping. "The 2022 Olympic Winter Games, if held in China, will boost exchanges and mutual understanding between the Chinese and other civilisations of the world. "And also encourage more than 1.3 billion Chinese to engage in winter sports with interest and passion and give them yet another opportunity to help advance the Olympic Movement and promote the Olympic Spirit," said Xi. The president of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee and also Mayor of Beijing, Wang Anshun, said Beijing would use many of the venues used during the 2008 Olympic Games in their winter games concept. "Our successful experience in hosting the games gives us even more confidence that we can achieve this," said Wang. Among the venues are the iconic Bird's Nest Stadium and the Water Cube as well as media and broadcasting centres within the Beijing Olympic Park. The plan also includes the mountain zones of Yanqing and Zhangjiakou which are situated about 90km and 160km away from Beijing, respectively. China basketball legend Yao Ming also spoke at the IOC meeting to back the Beijing bid. --BERNAMA