The IOC received the candidature files of Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Beijing (China), the two cities bidding to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
Both cities are being encouraged to reflect the spirit of Olympic Agenda 2020 following the unanimous approval of the 40 recommendations at the 127th IOC Session in Monaco on Dec. 8. Olympic Agenda 2020, a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement, allows for more flexibility in the bid process, a stronger emphasis on legacy, lower costs and improved sustainability. IOC President Thomas Bach: "Today is an important day for the Olympic Winter Games in 2022 because we will now have the opportunity to see the vision of the two Candidate Cities. For the Candidate Cities, it is a unique opportunity to present their ideas about the organization of the Olympic Winter Games, and for us a moment that we have been looking forward to for some time." The IOC has informed the candidate cities that the '22 host city can anticipate a contribution from the IOC to the success of the Games of an overall estimated value of $880M (IOC). INSIDE THE GAMES' Nick Butler reported Int'l Ice Hockey Federation President René Fasel has risked upsetting the IOC "by predicting Beijing will win the race for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics."
Speaking during the IIHF World Junior Championships in Toronto, Fasel, an IOC Exec Board member since '08, said, "We know that 2022 will be in Asia, Kazakhstan or China. I think China is favored there to win that race, so 2022 will go to China" (INSIDE THE GAMES, 1/5).
