What to expect from Beijing Winter Games

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), announces Beijing as the city to host the the 2022 Winter Olympics during the 128th International Olympic Committee Session, in Malaysia's capital city of Kuala Lumpur July 31, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Nothing would have made me happier than knowing the International Olympic Committee has awarded the 2022 Winter Olympic Games to Beijing at its 128th session in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

Fourteen years ago, I was in Moscow covering the IOC's 112th session where I witnessed Beijing's successful bid for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Seven years later, I covered the 2008 Olympic Games as an accredited journalist.

Indeed, Beijing got a facelift, in many aspects, as the 2008 Games' host. As it becomes the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, I couldn't help wondering what to expect from the Games this time. Here is my wish list:

Permanent blue skies

Efforts to curb pollutions ahead of the 2008 Games dramatically improved the air quality in Beijing, at least for a while. I still remember how clear the sky was during the 2008 Paralympic Games that opened two weeks after the Olympic Games ended. Sadly, pollution continued to haunt Beijing afterwards, to a large extent neutralizing the 2008 efforts.

Once again, expectations are high that staging the Winter Olympic Games will push Beijing to reduce pollution and improve the air quality more effectively.

Such efforts will not only be made in Beijing but in neighboring Hebei province and Tianjin municipality as well, as suggested by a development action plan to integrate the three places. Hopefully, blue skies will become a regular feature even after the Games.

Better transportation

Although Beijing is the host city of the 2022 Winter Games, Chongli county of Zhangjiakou in Hebei will host some of the snow events. I was there once a couple of years ago for skiing, and I had to spend 10 long hours on a congested winding road in the mountains on my way back because the highway was closed after heavy snow.

The experience stopped me from making another attempt to go skiing in Chongli, which I believe boasted the best facilities for winter sports in North China at that time. It is a pleasure to learn that a high-speed railway linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou is in the works, shortening the travel time from an average 4 hours to 50 minutes.