Almaty 2022 Promises the most Responsible, Convenient and Sustainable Winter Games Concept in over Thirty Years

Almaty, July 24, 2015 – Almaty 2022 wants to change the way Olympic Winter Games are planned for and hosted by ensuring a true and lasting Olympic Legacy for the city and region, and that inspires more cities to bid for the Games in the future. Almaty has a very long tradition in winter sports, beginning in the 1950’s during the Soviet Union when the city was the center for outdoor winter sports activities. After becoming an independent country two decades ago, Almaty began improving its status as the number one winter sport center in Eurasia.

Almaty has continuously flourished into a true winter sports city and one of the top tourist destinations in all of Eurasia. The growth of winter sports in Almaty is directly tied to the city and region’s long-term goals and is a key element in the planning for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

A New Winter Games model focused on the Athletes
Almaty 2022’s Games Concept is one of the most compact in over 30 years. All venues are located within a 30-kilometer radius of the Olympic Village – an unprecedented convenience for the movement’s most important stakeholders, the athletes, as well as for the Olympic Family and spectators.

Real Winter Sports Venues for Real Winter Sports
Seventy percent of the venues necessary for the Games already exist and are currently fully utilized for winter sports. Since 2000, Almaty has added six top-tier venues to its already existing collection of world-class ski resorts and other competition venues. By 2017, 80% of the venues necessary will exist due to Almaty hosting the 2017 Winter Universiade.

Minister of Culture and Sport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr Arystanbek Mukhamediuly:
«Almaty’s bid for the Winter Games is driven by our people’s passion for winter sports and is well aligned with our long-term sports infrastructure plan. Almaty will only need two additional competition venues for the Games. Rising demand from the city and region makes the addition of these venues a natural continuation of our strategic plan. Hosting the Winter Games will further the development of winter sports in Kazakhstan and the Central Asian region».

Real Winter Sports Hosting Experience
Almaty’s venues have hosted numerous major winter sport events including the 2011 Asian Winter Games, the 2015 FIS Junior Nordic World Championships Under 23, the 2014 World University Speed Skating Championship, the 2015 ISU World Sprint Speed Skating Championships, the 2012 & 2013 FIS Nordic Combined World Cups, the 2010 through 2014 FIS Ski Jumping Grand Prix, and the 2010 through 2012 FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cups.

Through the successful delivery of these international competitions, Almaty has proven itself as a trustworthy and competent host. From its 2011 Asian Winter Games experience, to the upcoming 2017 Winter Universiade, the largest global winter sports competition after the Olympic Winter Games, Almaty will benefit from a wealth of friendly and experienced event professionals and volunteers, as well as in-depth technical and sports expertise, heightened by the high-level events hosted and planned to take place.

Real Sustainability Means an Eco-Friendly Winter Games
Almaty 2022 is also one of the greenest and most sustainable plans in over 30 years due to its numerous existing venues and minimal construction needs. Only two additional venues need to be built – the Sliding Center and the Almaty Olympic Arena. No sensitive mountain ecosystems will be affected by their construction and no large-scale transportation projects are required to reach the mountain venues from the city.

Winter Games Deserve Real Winter Weather
Almaty’s winter climate will provide the ideal competitive conditions for both the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Almaty has plenty of snow and plenty of water. The city’s mountain venues average between 120-150 cm of fresh, natural snow coverage during the proposed Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games periods, and the annual accumulated snowfall adds up to 8 meters. Any man-made snow requirements will be easily met using Almaty’s numerous mountain lakes and rivers with no impact to the existing water needs of the region.

Vice-Chairman of Almaty 2022 Bid, Mr Andrey Kryukov: «Our sensible, affordable and sustainable Games Plan is based on real venues, real winter sports hosting experience and real snow and winter ambience. Almaty can prove that a nation doesn’t need to be a superpower or spend tens of billions of dollars to host a Winter Games. Consistent with the goals of IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, Almaty 2022’s planning for the Winter Games utilizes our existing resources and is directly linked to our city’s long-term goals. Rather than changing our city to fit the Games, we adapted the Games plan to fit our city’s needs. This is real change of the Winter Games and exactly what we mean by ‘Keeping it Real».

A Cozy and Friendly Winter Games
Additionally, Kazakhstan is one of the most open and diverse countries in the world with over 100 ethnicities and 40 religious denominations all living peacefully within its borders. Forty percent of Almaty’s population is under the age of twenty-four, and the city offers a variety of dining and entertainment options to visitors of all ages and ethnicities.

Finally, Almaty 2022’s budget is prudent, and all Games guarantees are fully backed by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Almaty’s OCOG budget is 1.7 billion US dollars and its Non-OCOG budget is only 4.5 billion; this reflects moderate, sensible spending. Moreover, Kazakhstan’s economy is sound. The Kazakhstan National Fund – created as a stabilization fund in 2000 – has a current balance of 75 billion dollars, and it continues to grow. That is “cash in the bank” for the Games.

Mayor of Almaty city, Mr Akhmetzhan Yessimov: «Almaty is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city full of young and passionate winter sport enthusiasts who passionately want to bring the Games to our city. Almaty 2022 is fully supported by our Government and we have the financial strength necessary to deliver a great Games experience for the athletes and participants. To be ready for 2022, Almaty has been investing in winter sports facilities and experience for over a decade, and on 31 July we hope to earn the opportunity to showcase to the world the tremendous progress our country has made».

For any Almaty 2022 Bid media related questions, please contact to:

Almaty 2022 Candidate city
Media Relations
Ms Zhuldyz Baimagambet
Mobile.:+7 (707) 8081111
Email: [email protected]