2022The XXIV Olympic Winter Games, Beijing - First Day Cover

On 7th July 2014, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the names of the three candidate cities who were bidding to host the 2022 Olympic Winter Games: Almaty (Kazakhstan), Oslo (Norway) and Beijing (China). As a result of public discussion in Norway, Oslo withdrew its candidacy during the bidding process. On 31th July 2015, at the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur, the city of Beijing was elected to stage the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, defeating Almaty by four votes. Thus, Beijing will be the first city in history to host both editions of the Games. While the Games of the XXIX Olympiad were held there in 2008, the Olympic Winter Games are scheduled to take place from 4th to 20th February 2022, during the celebration of the Chinese New Year, 2022 will be the year of the tiger. The organisers are now in the preparation phase of the Games and their main task is to create “Joyful Rendezvous Upon Pure Ice and Snow” in order to increase the interest of the home audience in winter sports.