Asia

Beijing 2022 venues near completion

The organising committee for the 2022 winter Olympics in Beijing has announced that work on the venues for the Games is nearing completion.

The Chinese capital is due to host the winter Olympics from February 4-20 next year, with the Paralympics to follow from March 4-13. Beijing will become the first city to host both the summer and winter Games.

A number of venues used during the 2008 summer Olympics will be repurposed for next year’s event. The iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium (pictured) will host the opening and closing ceremonies for the Games and the venue’s transformation is scheduled for completion in October.

A total of 39 venues will be used over the course of next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. Among these, 12 will be competition venues, three will be training venues and 24 will be non-competition venues.

Work on the 12 competition venues has already finished, with Beijing 2022 confirming on Friday that “most” of the non-competition venues have either been completed or are about to be.

Other Beijing 2008 venues that will be used during next year’s Games include the National Aquatics Centre, which will stage curling events. Renovation work on the arena was completed in November last year.

Beijing’s Wukesong Sports Centre, which hosted basketball events during the summer Olympics, has also been upgraded and will stage ice hockey matches at the winter Games. Work on the Olympic Village was finished in June, while work on the Games’ press centre, broadcast centre and other non-competition venues is said to be on schedule.

Beijing 2022 organisers have also claimed that the event will be the first Olympic Games to be 100% powered by green and clean electricity. All new indoor venues for the Games meet the ‘three-star’ standard for green buildings, with other existing indoor venues meeting the ‘two-star’ standard.

Beijing 2022 will mark the third consecutive Olympics to be held in Asia, after the 2018 winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea and the ongoing summer Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Image: Hong Jiang on Unsplash