Olympic Notes: Beijing Steps Up Fight Against Air Pollution Ahead Of Winter Olympics Vote

Beijing is accelerating its fight against air pollution as it ticks to a 100-day countdown of the 2022 Winter Olympics city-deciding vote. Beijing has renewed its pollution-fighting efforts, "including closing a series of coal power plants," to bring back "APEC Blue" -- a phrase coined by Chinese netizens to describe the city's clear skies during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in November (XINHUA, 4/22). ... IOC President Thomas Bach, "in a fleeting" visit to Australia, will meet PM Tony Abbott on Wednesday "to discuss Queensland's push to host the 2028 Games." Chaperoned by Australian Olympic Committee President and IOC VP John Coates, Bach "will also seek to impress on federal Minister for Sport Sussan Ley why Australia should throw itself into another host city bid, following the great success of Sydney 2000." The quartet will meet in Canberra before Bach revisits the Sydney Olympic Park precinct, "which is now considered a blueprint in terms of Games legacy" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 4/23).