Kazakh Host Almaty Cuts $500M In Cost From Bid For 2022 Winter Olympic Games

Kazakh organizers said that Almaty will save more than $500M "after making several venue changes in its bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics," according to the AP. Bid officials said that "they had made the project 'more efficient' and 'more affordable' in line with IOC reforms aimed at giving organizers more flexibility and reducing the cost of the Games." The biggest change "is eliminating the planned venue at Shymbulak and Tau Park and relocating all Alpine skiing events to the existing Almatau mountain site." Other changes include "moving freestyle ski and snowboard events to the existing Ak Bulak resort, relocating Paralympic ice sledge hockey to another arena, reducing the capacity of the athletes village in Medeo from 1,000 beds to 350 beds and eliminating one of the media villages and sub press centers" (AP, 3/5).