2022 Winter Games: 1,000-days to go

With 1,000 days to go before the 2022 Winter Olympics, preparations are well underway for a successful and sustainable event.

Built for the 2008 Summer Games, Olympic Park in Beijing's northern downtown area entered the spotlight again on Friday as the country began its countdown. The 2022 Winter Olympics, will be held in Beijing and co-host Zhangjiakou in adjacent Hebei province.

As the symbolic "1,000" flashed on a digital clock on the park's Linglong Tower, a broadcasting facility for the 2008 Games, expectations were heightened for the winter sports extravaganza, which will run from Feb 4 to 20 in 2022. Three zones will feature athletic events - downtown Beijing, the city's northwest Yanqing district and Zhangjiakou's mountain district Chongli.