(ATR) Yu Zaiqing has been made a vice-president of the Beijing Winter Olympic organizing committee.
The State Council announced the move on Wednesday, according to Xinhua news agency.
A Chinese Olympic Committee vice president since 1999, Yu was also executive vice president of the Beijing 2008 Summer Games organizing committee.
The IOC vice president’s appointment to Beijing 2022 comes just weeks before the IOC Coordination Commission’s first full inspection visit to the Chinese capital to check on the progress of preparations.
Alexander Zhukov will lead the IOC watchdog’s check-up next month. The visit was originally planned for the end of June, but postponed amid the Russian doping scandal.
As head of the Russian NOC, Zhukov was heavily involved in trying to negotiate a deal for his country’s athletes to compete at the Rio Olympics following the McLaren report, which detailed a state-sponsored doping scheme involving the Russian sports ministry.
Among others, Zhukov and his Co-com team will next month hold talks with Beijing 2022 president Guo Jinlong, Chinese Olympic Committee chief Liu Peng and mayor Wang Anshun. Yu is likely to play a major role as a link between the IOC and Beijing 2022 as preparations step up in the coming years.
October’s IOC inspection comes 14 months after Beijing was awarded the 2022 Games at the Session in Kuala Lumpur.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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