Beijing 2022 has big plans to produce big benefits
Three years to go to the Olympic Winter Games may seem like a long time, but Beijing 2022 isn’t wasting a minute when it comes to utilising the Games to accelerate change in the region.
With a goal to encourage millions to embrace winter sports, the plan is centred around inspiring young people with the Olympic spirit, promoting social progress and creating a harmonious world of better mutual understanding.
The vision is wide-reaching, from teaching school children about the Olympic values to getting people of all ages involved in winter sport, increasing inclusivity and enhancing sustainability, all while catalysing urban development.
Beijing already had a clear focus on legacy from the outset, as its project will make use of seven venues from 2008 for the Games in 2022. That focus on long-term stadium use is magnified even more, with Beijing 2022 having already identified the post-Games use for all new permanent venues.
Divided into seven themes, the Organising Committee’s plan presents which of its programmes are initiated or accelerated by the Games, and details of which partners are responsible for leading the projects.
This echoes the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s own approach to legacy, which encourages embedding legacy initiatives early in the OCOG’s lifecycle to ensure that the benefits of hosting the Games are implemented in advance of the Opening Ceremony, and last well beyond the Closing Ceremony.