Welcome to a winter wonderland

An adapted sports testing program has since been adopted by Beijing 2022, which plans to have the Games facilities and services checked and assessed in a simplified way without the large-scale involvement of international athletes and officials.

Facilities, timing systems and medical services are among aspects expected to be tested in the flexible program, but not necessarily in a competition format or with international athletes present.

The decision was made following an inspection visit of international federation officials to Beijing 2022 venues last month and the successful staging of a track validation test, known as "pre-homologation", at the newly built National Sliding Center in Yanqing by the governing bodies of bobsled, skeleton and luge.

The IOC has acknowledged Beijing's hard work in such difficult circumstances and has pledged to offer all necessary support to help the Chinese capital complete its mission of becoming the world's only city to host both the Summer and Winter Games.

"With competition venues set to be completed by the end of this year and plans for One Year to Go activities developing, excitement is really beginning to build," IOC vice-president Juan Antonio Samaranch, who also chairs the Beijing 2022 coordination commission, said after the project review meeting.

"Acknowledging the difficulties experienced this year, the progress being made by Beijing 2022 has been remarkable.

"This has been reflected through positive feedback from several international federations that have visited Beijing in recent weeks. There will be challenges ahead, however, which is why－through, for example, the COVID-19 countermeasure working group－we are fully preparing for all eventualities.

"To achieve this, the experience and expertise within the local organizing committee, the support from the Chinese and Beijing governments and the close collaboration between all Olympic and Paralympic Movement stakeholders will ensure we are stronger together.

"This will be vital to delivering outstanding Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing in 2022."