WORLD

The International Olympic Committee has cited serious challenges facing the two bids for the 2022 Winter Olympics. (Associated Press)

Learn more about sports of the Winter Olympics with our short article.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit, including today’s polls and MapMaker Interactive map.

Discussion Ideas

• According to the AP, what are some advantages and disadvantages facing Almaty, Kazakhstan, in its bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics?
  • Advantages
    • Almaty has an abundance of natural snow, making sports such as skiing and snowboarding easier and more economical to support.
    • The proposed Olympic Village and sports venues in Almaty are relatively close together and easy to navigate for athletes, media, and tourists.
  • Disadvantages
    • Kazakhstan is a developing country that may have difficulty supporting such an expensive event.
    • Almaty has little experience hosting large-scale international events and may need financial and managerial support from the International Olympic Committee.
    • Kazakhstan has a poor record on human rights and some critics worry about the safety of journalists and critics of the Kazakh government at the games.

• According to the AP, what are some advantages and disadvantages facing Beijing, China, in its bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics?
  • Advantages
    • Beijing has excellent infrastructure and high-quality venues.
    • Beijing was the successful host city for the 2008 Summer Olympics, and has deep experience in hosting large international events.
    • The market for winter sports in China is relatively low; organizers are enthusiastic about the financial possibilities of creating winter sports market for the more than 300 million people in northern China.
  • Disadvantages
    • Beijing does not have sufficient natural snowfall to support sports such as skiing and snowboarding. Chinese organizers will have to manufacture snow, increasing the cost, environmental impact, and oversight of the games.
    • The venues proposed by Chinese organizers are spread out over more than 160 kilometers (100 miles), making navigation more difficult or limited for tourists, media, and athletes.
    • Beijing suffers from serious air pollution. Critics worry about the health hazards to athletes and tourists. (The same concerns were raised prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics.)
    • China has a poor record of human rights, and some critics worry about the safety of journalists and critics of the Chinese government at the games.

• Read through our media spotlight on Winter Olympic sports, which were last held in Sochi, Russia. What winter sports will you follow in PyeongChang, South Korea, (the site of the next Winter Olympics) and Almaty or Beijing?

TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT

Associated Press: IOC cites challenges for Almaty and Beijing Olympic bids

Nat Geo: Sports of the Winter Olympics

Nat Geo: Where will the 2022 Winter Olympics Be Held? map

International Olympic Committee: Bidding for the Games and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games bid process