Reporting From Almaty, Kazakhstan – Members of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Evaluation Commission have arrived in Almaty and on Saturday will be set to begin a five-day inspection of the city’s plans and infrastructure being proposed for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
The twelve-member team is being led by Russian Olympic Committee President Alexander Zhukov who helped deliver the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
IOC members and subject matter experts have a packed agenda while in Almaty. They’ll review the three-volume bid book submitted by Almaty in January and tour eight existing venues as well as supporting infrastructure and cultural sites. They’ll provide the bid team with feedback and later file a report that will be presented to IOC membership prior to the bid city election in July.
Beijing, the only other bidder in this Winter Games campaign, will receive the same team from March 24 to 28. Oslo had been shortlisted and was a favourite to host the Games until lack of parliamentary support forced the bid to withdraw last year.
Almaty was seen as an outsider at the outset of the campaign that originally included four European cities, but against only Beijing the Kazakh city still has a fighting chance. This visit presents the biggest opportunity for Almaty’s bid committee to prove it is capable of delivering a successful Games.
GamesBids.com will be reporting from the scene in Almaty all week long.
[box style=”0″]
IOC Evaluation Commission for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid
| Chair | ||
| Alexander ZHUKOV | IOC Member President, Russian Olympic Committee Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Sochi Organising Committee for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games |
RUS |
| IOC Members | ||
| Barry MAISTER | Vice-President, Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) Olympic Champion, Hockey, Montreal 1976 Olympian, Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972, Hockey |
NZL |
| Adam PENGILLY | IOC Athletes’ Commission representative Olympian, Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, Skeleton Board Member, London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games |
GBR |
| Tsunekazu TAKEDA | President, Japanese Olympic Committee Vice President, Tokyo Organising Committee for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Olympian, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Equestrian jumping |
JPN |
| Advisors | ||
| Caroline ASSALIAN | Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) representative Chief Sport Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee |
CAN |
| Dwight BELL | Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF) representative President of the United States Luge Association (1989 – 1998, 2006 – 2010, 2014 – ) |
USA |
| Rita VAN DRIEL | International Paralympic Committee (IPC) representative Member at Large, IPC |
NED |
| Tatiana DOBROKHVALOVA ** | Senior Vice-President, Sochi Organising Committee for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games | RUS |
| Grant THOMAS | IOC advisor, Infrastructure Senior Vice President for Venues and Transportation, Salt Lake City Organising Committee for the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games |
USA |
| John MCLAUGHLIN | IOC advisor, Finance Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games |
CAN |
| David STUBBS | IOC advisor, Sustainability Head of Sustainability, London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games |
GBR |
| Tim GAYDA | IOC advisor, Sport Vice President of Sport, Vancouver Organising Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games |
CAN |
Joining the Commission will be IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi and IOC Head of Olympic Bid City Coordination Jacqueline Barrett.
[/box]
