BEIJING, June 13 — According to a report by China National Radio's "National News Broadcast," the second meeting of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was held in Beijing today, with relevant officials introducing the progress of preparations.
Zhang Jiandong, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and Vice Mayor of Beijing, said that venue construction and infrastructure development are the top priorities in the preparations for the Winter Olympics. New venues must break ground as soon as possible, while taking into account the needs of the events, post-Games use, and environmental protection, with construction focused on the Beijing competition zone. “The National Speed Skating Oval is a newly built venue in Beijing. The conceptual plan for the venue has been released, and the construction plan for the 'Ice Ribbon' has been determined. Detailed design is currently underway, and site leveling has already been completed.”
In addition, other renovated venues have also entered the detailed design phase to prepare for construction implementation; planning and construction of infrastructure such as water supply, power supply, roads, and stations around each competition zone has begun. Zhang Jiandong said that the infrastructure connecting the three competition zones must be fully completed by 2019, with the same deadline for newly built venues, in order to meet the competition requirements of the test events.
On how to encourage more people to participate in ice and snow sports and achieve the goal of engaging 300 million people in winter sports, Yang Shu'an, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport of China and Vice President of the Beijing Organizing Committee, said that more events should be held in regions such as Northwest and North China where winter sports are less popular, to provide more opportunities for the public to participate. “In 2021, the National Winter Games will be held in Inner Mongolia, which can help build winter sports venues across the northern regions.”