Photovoltaic and wind power plants generate electricity in Zhangjiakou, North China's Hebei Province. Seizing the opportunity offered by the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Zhangjiakou has accelerated the construction of power plants that use renewable energy sources. (Photo/Xinhua)
Pollution and the lack of winter sports specialists are the main challenges facing the preparations for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and Beijing is working hard to find solutions.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission held talks with the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee and visited Olympic venues in Zhangjiakou, Yanqing and central Beijing during their three-day meeting which started on October 10, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The IOC officials spoke highly of Beijing's preparations for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, according to Xinhua.
Juan Antonio Samaranch, vice president of the IOC, said the meeting focused mainly on five aspects: government, sports, venues, commercial activities and public engagement.
"We are very pleased with what we have seen and learned. The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is off to a very fast start. Initial preparations are on right track," Samaranch was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
Zhang Jiandong, vice mayor of Beijing and executive vice president of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee, said they are planning to kick off the construction of venues for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games next year.
"The concept design of the speed skating venue has been opened to international bidding and construction will start next April," said Zhang.
According to Zhang, there will be a total of 25 competition and non-competition venues for the games. Twelve venues are in downtown Beijing, among which 11 are left over from 2008 Olympic Games.
Beijing 2022 will use existing competition venues, infrastructure and people with deep operational experience from both the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, said Xinhua.
Reusing sites
"Many venues from 2008 went out of use after the Olympic Games, which was a huge waste," an anonymous official at the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee told the Global Times Monday.
He said that China has already created an economic yet reasonable budget and this has been approved by the IOC.
"Also the tickets will be sold for a reasonable price to attract more spectators, since the winter events are less popular than summer ones," he added.
Zhou Xing, an official with Beijing's bid committee said that the budget for Beijing 2022 is estimated at $1.56 billion, with the IOC spending $338 million and the government shelling out $94 million. Moreover, a further $1.51 billion will be spent on infrastructure renovation, the Beijing Times reported in 2015.
Clean Olympics
"Air pollution is another challenge for Beijing 2022, as the air pollution is usually worse during winter in North China," said the anonymous official.
In January, Wang Anshun, mayor of Beijing and president of the Beijing 2022 Bid Committee, said in a conference that Yanqing, a suburban district that will host part of the Games, is also heavily polluted by coal. Wang has requested the relevant departments to make Yanqing a coal-free district.
"We are confident that we can have fresh air in Beijing, not only by significantly improving air quality, but also by paving a new, healthier and greener path for the city and the surrounding region's development for years to come," Wang was quoted by Xinhua as saying.
According to Wang, Beijing will reduce its coal consumption from 23 million tones in 2012 to less than 10 million in 2017, and the government is trying all the measures available to it.
Beijing has effectively guaranteed high air quality during critical times. During the APEC summit, Beijing's ability to ensure blue skies led to the coining of the phrase "APEC Blue," said Xinhua.
Games for everyone
"Compared with the summer Olympics, the winter Olympics has less specialized athletes," said Yang Shuan, deputy director of China's General Administration of Sports, adding that the Organizing Committee will join hands with the General Administration of Sports to formulate training programs for athletes.
Besides athletes, specialists in venue design, match organization and sports technologies are also needed, said Yang, adding that the Organizing Committee is cooperating with ski resorts in order to train more professional volunteers.
Qu Yujia, a ski coach in Beijing, told the Beijing Times that their ski resort is receiving more and more visitors ever since Beijing was honored with the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The Beijing Times reported that all kinds of winter sports are gaining popularity in Beijing and Zhangjiakou.
Bai Yinhai, Party chief of Chongli county, Zhangjiakou said that since the announcement of the Olympic Games, the number of people who skied in their county has increased almost 30 percent compared with 2014.
It is estimated that some 300 million people will be engaging in winter sports due to China's hosting of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, said the Beijing Times.
