July 31, 2015 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) – Beijing has won its bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics becoming the first city to host both the summer and winter Games. Chinese president, Xi Jinping, promised “…a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Olympic Winter Games in Beijing” as International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegates chose Beijing over Almaty (KAZ) in a secret ballot at the 128^th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Beijing pledged to tackle the toxic air pollution that often enshrouds the capital which will feature three Olympic sites: Beijing, Zhangjiakou Zone (201km/125 miles from Beijing) and Yanqing Zone, a mountainous region northwest of the capital.

“The COC applauds the selection of Beijing, China, as host city for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and offers congratulations to their organizing committee. Beijing, which will for the first time in its history host an Olympic Winter Games, benefits from the legacy of having hosted an extremely successful Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008. We are confident that Beijing 2022 will provide a best in class competitive environment for athletes, coaches and fans from around the world.

“The COC would also like to extend congratulations to Lausanne (Switzerland), which at the same IOC Session was also selected as host city for the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG),” commented Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee.

Read more in the Gaurdian here.