July 11, 2014 – On July 7, 2014, the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee unanimously agreed that Oslo (NOR), Almaty (KAZ) and Beijing (CHN) would progress from the Applicant City Phase to the Candidate City Phase in the bid to host the Olympic Winter Games 2022.

Olympic Rings © GEPA Pictures

The decision was based on a technical analysis of the Applicant Cities’ applications submitted earlier this year. The analysis and subsequent report were made by an IOC-appointed working group of Olympic Games experts who assessed each Applicant City’s potential for successfully staging the Olympic Winter Games 2022.

Each city was encouraged to produce a bid best suited to their own unique circumstances, with plans that reflect their own specific vision for how the Games can benefit their cities and regions and ensure positive, sustainable legacies for their populations.

Oslo is focusing its bid on youth and building on the great legacy of the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer 1994. It hopes to inspire the population to embrace a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Almaty’s legacy plans centre on providing the conditions to enable the city to become a sports, tourism and convention hub in Central Asia.

Beijing is seeking to provide an extended legacy for venues built for the Olympic Games 2008. It wants to create a winter sports centre for China and use the Winter Games to act as a catalyst for the further development of the tourism and winter sports industry.

The Candidate Cities are now entering the second and final phase which comprises the following key dates:

– Submission of the Candidature File and Guarantees – 7th January 2015
– IOC Evaluation Commission visits – February to March 2015
– Evaluation Commission report / Candidate City Briefing for IOC Members – May to June 2015 (TBC)
– Election of the 2022 host city by the IOC Session – Kuala Lumpur – 31st July 2015