Early this morning, International Olympic President Thomas Bach confirmed that the IOC has chosen Beijing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Beijing will be the first city to host both the summer and winter olympics.
This comes as no surprise to most insiders, who since the beginning of the selection process claimed the lack of economic viability, infrastructure and political stability removed Almaty, Kazakhstan from successfully competing with Beijing.
Almaty’s biggest strength is the abundant snowfall the city receives annually, which would have provided a more traditional winter backdrop for the games. Beijing on the other hand will be responsible for producing humongous amounts of man-made snow.
Alpine events will be held on the slopes of the Xiaohaituo Mountain area and Taizicheng area.
Many of the mountains hold just a trace of snow on their dusty flanks during the winter months.
Planned alongside the production of the games, government officials will implement a new high-speed train system from Beijing to the rural city of Zhangjiakou, where some of the events will be held. The distance from Beijing to Zhangjiakou is over 100 miles to the northwest.
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