Hosting duty for the 2022 Winter Games hangs in the balance as the IOC kicks off its annual session in Kuala Lumper shortly before 9am local time Friday (9pm Thursday ET). Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Beijing will make their final cases to the IOC in separate presentations set to begin at 10:30am local time. A vote will follow at 4:15pm, with results expected to be announced at 5:30. Some Olympic observers reported frantic, last-minute lobbying by both sides Thursday afternoon. The vote poses a question for the IOC, forcing them to choose between two very different bids. Almaty’s bid is widely seen as technically superior, with almost all proposed venues within 18 miles of each other, and nearly 70% of venues already built. It also has plentiful snow. Beijing would locate its mountain events in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, 40 and 90 miles away, respectively, which requires a high-speed rail line to be built. The city would also have to rely on artificial snow in many cases. The vote will culminate a tumultuous, seven-year campaign for the Games, which saw European cities such as Munich, Krakow, Oslo and St. Moritz abandoning bids due to local opposition over costs.
DIFFICULT DECISION: REUTERS' Julian Linden wrote the global economic crisis and the "shifting power-base of world sport" have left the IOC facing a "difficult decision." On Friday, in downtown Kuala Lumpur, the IOC membership will cast its vote "to decide the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics." In normal times, "the election of an Olympic host city is a hotly-contested event with the candidates hosting lavish receptions and turning on the charm offensive." Not "this time." There are only two candidates, "both somewhat unlikely; Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, ensuring that Asia will host three Olympics in a row." For the IOC, it is a "double-edged sword." The appeal of "taking the biggest events to Asia, home to more than half of the world's population and boasting the fastest growing regional economy in the world, is obvious and irresistible." But it is "the lack of interest from other parts of the world that worries the IOC." Four different candidates from Europe "originally entered the bidding race, but all dropped out," mostly because of the escalating costs (REUTERS, 7/30). Linden reported in a separate piece organizers of Almaty's bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics "fired a thinly veiled shot at Beijing's proposed plans on Thursday, offering a sneak preview into their strategy to win selection ahead of the Chinese capital." Although the Kazakhstan delegation was "careful not to directly comment on their rival's bid," which is strictly against IOC rules, the inference "was clear." Almaty 2022 Vice-Chair Andrey Kryukov said, "Our concept is based on existing winter sport venues, not venues which will be modified from summer to winter sports venues. It's real winter sports venues which exist in our town" (REUTERS, 7/30). REUTERS' Sui-Lee Wee reported human rights activists "are stepping up efforts to derail Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics," hoping their protests and petitions can "thwart what appears to be almost certain victory for the Chinese capital." Five groups opposing Beijing's bid have appealed to the IOC urging it not to award Beijing the Games. U.S.-based Chinese rights activists Rose Tang and Gu Yi said in a letter last week to the IOC, "China is now facing a human rights crisis with a scale of violations that is unprecedented since 2008." Like other campaigners, Tang and Gu said human rights "have deteriorated in China since Beijing held the 2008 Games" (REUTERS, 7/29).
SOBERING REMINDER: Linden reported in a separate piece IOC President Thomas Bach sent a "sobering reminder to global sports leaders" on Thursday about their responsibilities. Bach: "We live in a world that takes
less for granted. People today demand more transparency and want to see
concrete steps and results on how we are living up to our values and our
responsibility. We need to demonstrate that we are indeed walking the walk and not just talking the talk" (REUTERS, 7/30).
HUMAN RIGHTS 'NIGHTMARE': In London, Jules Boykoff opined when Olympic members convene in Kuala Lumpur to submit their choice via secret ballot, they should "seriously consider" voting "none of the above." Were it not for the "mass exodus of credible bidders, Almaty would not have a prayer." Kazakhstan is a "new player in Olympic circles, a relative unknown," and even Kryukov admitted, "There are a lot of former Soviet states -- a lot of stans" (GUARDIAN, 7/30).
