People's Daily Online, Beijing, March 26 (Reporters Ma Jian and Yang Lei) — On March 26, the evaluation inspection work of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission mainly took place in the Zhangjiakou competition zone. The Commission heard a thematic presentation on the venue planning for the Zhangjiakou zone and conducted detailed on-site inspections. With this, the IOC Evaluation Commission has concluded all its scheduled venue inspections in both Beijing and Zhangjiakou.
The Zhangjiakou competition zone is located in Chongli County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, northwest of Beijing. By the shortest road route, it is about 161 kilometers from the Beijing competition zone. The Zhangjiakou zone enjoys superior natural conditions, with a skiing season lasting over 150 days. The ski resort facilities are well-developed — currently, five ski resorts have been built in the zone, which have hosted multiple FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup events and Far East Cup races. Several ski runs have received certification from the International Ski Federation (FIS). Currently, Beijing and Zhangjiakou are connected by the Beijing–Baotou Expressway, the Beijing–Xinjiang Expressway, and National Highway 110. Once the Beijing–Zhangjiakou high-speed railway is completed and operational, the high-speed rail travel time between the two cities will be just 50 minutes.
During the on-site inspection, the compact layout of the Zhangjiakou competition zone left a deep impression on the Evaluation Commission. The zone has a total of five competition venues and three non-competition venues. Except for the medal plaza, the other seven venues are located within a centralized area. The five competition venues include two at the Genting Ski Resort in the northern area, where all snowboarding and freestyle skiing events will be held; the other three venues are in the southern area — the Nordic Center Ski Jumping Venue, the Nordic Center Cross-Country Skiing Venue, and the Biathlon Center. It is rare and ideal to gather these three venues in the same valley, which is highly conducive to the organization and management of the competitions. The three non-competition venues are the Zhangjiakou Mountain Media Center, the medal plaza, and the Olympic Village, which is located in the central position between the southern and northern areas. The Olympic Village is part of the Prince City Ice and Snow Town, and any location within the Zhangjiakou competition zone can be reached within a five-minute drive from the Village. The Beijing–Zhangjiakou high-speed railway passes through the competition zone and includes a Taizicheng Station located one kilometer south of the Olympic Village.
After concluding their inspection in Zhangjiakou, the Evaluation Commission returned to Beijing and conducted an on-site visit to the China National Convention Center, which served as the final stop of the venue inspection tour. The China National Convention Center is one of the legacies of the Beijing Olympics. During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, it will serve again as the Main Media Center. Its staff, especially the management team, participated in the Beijing Olympics, which is a significant advantage for improving operational and service standards.