In Lausanne on Tuesday, delegations representing the 2022 Olympic Winter Games bids from Almaty, Kazakhstan and Beijing submitted their three-volume bid books to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for consideration. The books contain detailed plans of the cities proposals to host the Games.
For the handover, Almaty was represented by Vice Mayor of Almaty City, Mrs. Zauresh Amanzholova; Secretary General of National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Timur Dossymbetov; Almaty 2022 Bid Board member, Mr. Andrey Kryukov; Mr. Ilya Urazakov, Director General of the State Foundation and Ms. Oksana Rizanenko, IOC & IF Bid Relations Director.
“Our 2022 Candidature File is a chance for the world to experience what we have always known: Almaty is a modern, beautiful city graced with real, pristine mountains and real, ideal winter weather – it is a city perfectly suited to host an intimate, accessible Winter Games with lots of natural snow,” said Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Yesimov.
“This is our second bid for the Winter Games because we believe it is time to build on what the Olympic spirit has achieved in the past by demonstrating its massive potential to achieve societal benefits in the future,” Timur Dossymbetov, Secretary General of NOC of the Republic of Kazakhstan said.
What are the 2022 Bid Books?
The bid committee reports that eight venues are already built for the Games and three more will be build if chosen to host.
Almaty officials have considered the IOC’s newly approved Agenda 2020 proposals in their plans as they pertain to low cost and sustainability.
A bid statement reports “where new infrastructure is required, it is already part of the existing national strategy “Kazakhstan-2050″and the City’s long-term development program, and it will provide a needed sustainable legacy and life after the Games.”
The Beijing 2022 bid committee President and Mayor of Beijing, Wang Anshun, submitted Beijing’s bid to the IOC.
If the Chinese capital is elected to host the 2022 Winter Games, Beijing will co-host the Games with Zhangjiakou, a Hebei province city located about 200 km north-west of Beijing. Ice sports would be held in Beijing and the snow events would take place in Zhangjiakou.
Beijing’s plan shows commitment to an athletes-oriented, sustainable and economical Winter Games.
The bid reports contain 14 themes, ranging from vision, legacy, engagement, transport, accommodation, finance and sustainability. They will be published online and in digital format on Wednesday (available on GamesBids.com, Twitter and Facebook)
The IOC will send its Evaluation Commission to Almaty for a site inspection from February 14 to 18 then they’ll visit Beijing from March 24 to 28.
The two cities will present their bids to IOC members in Lausanne in June and the host city will be elected in Kuala Lumpur on July 31.
