Beijing 2022 Winter Games face ‘special situation’ after Tokyo delay

Snow falls on the Olympic rings near the New National Stadium in Tokyo, Saturday, March 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Beijing 2022 organizers said they face “a special situation” after the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics means less than six months between the Summer and Winter Games.

The Tokyo Olympics are now scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8, 2021 after they were put back a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, with the Beijing Winter Games beginning on February 4, 2022 there is the unusual challenge of almost back-to-back Olympics.

“The new dates of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games mean we are faced with a special situation where the Summer Games and Winter Games are to be held in half-a-year,” a Beijing 2022 official told Xinhua news agency.

“We will have a detailed assessment of how the new dates of Tokyo 2020 will affect the Beijing 2022 Games.

“In the meantime, will keep close communication with the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the Olympic family to handle the situation properly and push forward our preparation in all aspects.”

China, where the coronavirus emerged in December, says that its preparations for 2022 are on schedule, despite much of the country shutting down in February in an effort to stop the spread of the disease.

Beijing will become the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games, having held the 2008 Olympics.