China in line with schedule ahead of 2022 Olympic Games preparations - IOC official

MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has no questions whatsoever regarding the currently underway preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in China’s Beijing, Alexander Zhukov, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), told TASS on Tuesday. In February 2016, the IOC appointed Zhukov to chair the committee’s Coordination Commission of the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. The ROC president also served as the chairman of the IOC Evaluation Commission to select the 2022 Winter Olympic Games hosting country. "I have recently attended a session of the IOC Executive Committee (on July 9-10 in Lausanne) and presented my report, which drew no questions at all so they (China) have everything under control." "All speed skating competitions will be held in Beijing," Zhukov said. "This is where they have a new facility, which is a speed skating oval, while the rest of the venues are the refurbished facilities from the 2008 Games." "Ice hockey competitions will be held at the Basketball Palace, figure skaters will perform at the Volleyball Palace and the Aqua Center will be the venue for Curling Competitions," he added. During the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015, Beijing was elected the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics making the Chinese capital the first city ever to host both the Summer Games (in 2008) and the Winter Games (in 2022). Beijing won the right to host the 2022 Olympics in a tight race over Kazakhstan’s Almaty eventually securing 44 votes against 40 in support of the largest Kazakh city. Three venues are planned to be offered for the 2022 Winter Olympics in China and they are: the country’s capital of Beijing (opening ceremony, figure skating, short track, ice hockey, curling, speed skating), north-western Yanqing County (alpine skiing, bobsleigh, luge, skeleton) and Zhangjiakou city (cross country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon, freestyle skiing, snowboard). Read more