 |
| 128th IOC Session http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/55bb4d44371d22ce178bb57 a-2418-1813/malaysia%20ioc%20olympics_mill%20(1).jpg |
Beijing's only opponent was Almaty, Kazakstan. If Almaty won, it would have become the first city in Central Asia to host the Olympics.
On the surface, Beijing may seem like the obvious choice, but that is far from the truth. Almaty may be a minor city compared to Beijing, but it has snow and a growing economy. There could have been a big returns for having the Olympics in Kazakstan's largest city. However, after the debacles in Sochi, the IOC made the right choice by going with a city that has a proven track record: Beijing.
The biggest issue with having the Winter Olympics in Beijing is snow. There is no natural snow in the city, so some events will be held in Yanhgqing (40 miles from Beijing) and Zhangjiakou (90 miles from Beijing).
I think the big key to the Olympics in Beijing is that it will expand interest in the games in China. At Sochi 2014, China had 66 participants and won only 3 gold medals and 9 overall (12th). Having the Olympics in China will garner more interest in civilians and in athletes. China is still an untaped market in many winter sports (most notably ice hockey) and by having the games in Beijing, interest and participation in the events will rise.
There are a lot of questions going forward for the 2022 Winter Olympics, but today is a day for China to celebrate.
