The Race is on for 2022 Winter Olympics

But expanding on an already rapidly developing winter sports culture through hosting a Winter Olympics could mean that the Chinese – especially those in northern provincial areas as Zhangjiakou – could maintain their healthy lifestyle all year round without being forced to stay indoors.

However, Boston’s high-profile withdrawal just hours before the start of the IOC Executive Board meeting on Tuesday serves as a timely reminder of the work ahead for the Olympic movement as it seeks to rejuvenate the bidding process.

With the majority of IOC members not coming from winter sports countries, Friday’s vote will be influenced by geopolitics, sentiment and other factors.

But Beijing bid officials said the lack of snow in arid northern China and far-flung venues would not be a problem, while touting the organizational muscle that China flexed in its successful 2008 Summer Games.

But some doubt the wisdom of the bid, which the IOC has assessed against a background of low prices for Kazakhstan’s key crude oil export, economic blight in neighbouring Russian Federation and a series of corruption-related arrests that have tainted EXPO-2017 preparations.

Pros: The use of existing venues chimes with the IOC’s stated desire to cut the costs of the Olympics, while the compact layout is a stark contrast to Beijing, where some venues will be as far as 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the city.

Worldwide Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach expects the vote to determine which city will host the 2022 Winter Olympics to come down to the quality of sports facilities for athletes, and which bid is perceived as the most sustainable.

But Wang said any winter sports event requires some level of artificial snow and that ample water was available.

Xiao Tian was removed as a vice minister of the General Administration of Sport of China.

“So much money will be spent from the budget on the games, half of which will go into someone’s pocket”, complained Dinara Zhoraeva, 35, of the routine graft which places Kazakhstan in the top fifty most corrupt countries, according to Transparency global.

“The Chinese government’s position is one of zero tolerance, that is also the wish of all Chinese people”, Wang added.

The US Olympic Committee on Monday rescinded Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Games after the mayor said his city’s taxpayers could not afford to host the large-scale event. “But they assumed no responsibilities whatsoever”.

Kryukov will be certain of the on-site backing of Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov, who also heads the Almaty bid.

However Tokyo, despite securing numerous corporate partners early on, have been forced to literally return to the drawing board after Japanese organisers scrapped the design for a new national stadium which had almost doubled in cost.

As the 15 members of the IOC’s executive board began meeting Tuesday, they discovered that Boston had dropped out of the bidding for the 2024 Olympics. With a September 15 deadline for official submission of candidates, the USOC could turn to Los Angeles as a new bidder. “But it’s better to face up to these things early if you don’t have full public support”.

“If the IOC award the 2022 Games to Beijing, we will keep our promise, too”.

– recommended formal recognition of South Sudan, a move that would clear the way for the African country to send a team to the Rio Games.