Commentary: Beijing 2008 legacy and regional development program guarantee sustainability of the Beijing 2022 Games

Sincetheveryinceptionofthebid,Beijing2022madeitsprioritytodesignaGamesthatwouldbeathlete-centered,sustainableandeconomicalandwouldbothsupportthedeliveryofOlympicAgenda2020andbroaderregionaldevelopmentplansinChina.

Inthisway,Beijing2022willtakefulladvantageofboththetremendousBeijing2008OlympicandParalympicGameslegacy-includingexistingcompetitionvenues,infrastructureandpeoplewithdeepoperationalexperience-andhavingaclearvisionofhowthe2022OlympicandParalympicWinterGamesisintegratedinChina'sexistingregionaleconomicdevelopmentplans.

Akeyelementofthecountry'sexistingplansisthedevelopmentofawintersportsindustryandmeetingagrowingdemandforrecreationalactivityandsport.

Beijing2022willre-use11of12competitionandnon-competitionfacilitiesincludingfouriconicvenues-NationalStadium(alsoknownasBird'sNest),NationalAquaticsCenter(alsoknownasWaterCube),WukesongMasterCardCenterandtheChinaNationalConventionCenter(CNCC).

Thesefourvenuesareexcellentexamplesoftheconceptofsustainability.Overthepastsevenyears,theyhavegrownintothe"go-to"multi-purposearenasforBeijing'sbiggestevents,fulfillingtheprinciplesoutlinedintheIOC'sAgenda2020andsettinganewstandardofsustainabilityforthefutureoftheOlympicMovement.ThevenuesalsohaverespondedBeijingandChina'sgrowinginterestinwintersportsbyhostinganincreasingnumberofwinter-sportsrelatedevents.

The2008Olympicsalsoleftapoolofhigh-levelprofessionals.10millionemployeesinareasasbroadasvenuedesignandconstruction,sports,marketing,hospitality,medicalservices,mediaoperations,transportandmanymore,aswellas100,000volunteers,offertheuniqueexperiencethatexists:deliveringthebiggestworldsportseventever.

MayorofBeijingandPresidentoftheBeijing2022BidCommitteeWangAnshunsaid:"TheopportunitytoutilizetheexperienceofthegreatmanyprofessionalswithOlympicdeliveryexperienceforacommonprojectwillsecurethesmoothdeliveryofsuccessfulGames.Ourhumanlegacyisourbiggestasset."

Afterpreparationsto2008Games,Beijinghashigh-levelandrobusthealth-careresourcesandservices.22first-classhospitalsinBeijingandZhangjiakouwillbedesignatedasthe2022hospitals,withmorethan30,000beds.Thesehospitalshavelongexperienceintreatingpatientsandinjuries,particularlyrelatingtowintersports.

Intermsofaccommodation,Beijingisoneoftheworld'stopdestinationsfortourismandbusinesswithexisting518star-ratedhotelsproviding110,000rooms,mostofwhichweretriedandtestedduringthe2008GamesandfullysatisfyIOCrequirementswiththeexistingroomsupply.

TheNationalStrategyofCoordinatedandIntegratedDevelopmentoftheBeijing-Tianjin-HebeiregionwillcreatefavorableconditionsandlayasolidbaseforthebidforBeijing2022,creatinga"win-win"environmentforfutureinvestment.

AmongotherbenefitsBeijing2022willdirectlybenefitfromalargenumberofdevelopmentaspects:

TheBeijing2022GameswillbothcontributetoandbenefitfromaccelerateddevelopmentoftheBeijing-ZhangjiakouSport,CultureandTourismBeltandthecreationofamajorwintersportscenter,attractingmillionsoftouristsfromChina,alloverAsiaandfromaroundtheworld,

TheGameswillhelpdeliveranewmodelofsustainabledevelopmentfortheregionandbeyond,whichwillpositivelyimpactmanygenerationstocome,

Thehigh-speedrailbetweenBeijingandZhangjiakouwillbringthelatter'slocalbusinessesand4.5millionresidentsmuchcloserwiththeinternationalmetropolisofBeijing.

TheGameswillcontributetocreatingapproximatelyhundredsofthousandsnewjobsacrosssports,culture,tourismandleisureindustries.

MayorWangconcluded:"WecoordinatedourvisionofBeijing2022andthethreeGamesZonesaroundtheintegrateddevelopmentoftheBeijing-Tianjin-Hebeiregion,aplanthatwasintheworkslongbeforetheideaofhostingtheWinterGameswasconceived.Thiscontext,alongwiththesolidinfrastructuralandhumanlegacyoftheBeijing2008Games,ensurethatBeijing2022Gameswouldbetrulyeconomicalandsustainable."