Only two choices left for 2022 Winter Olympic Committee were authoritarian countries whose politicians aren't forced to listen to voters and answer to budget blowouts-CNN

7/31/15, "Winter Olympics 2022: Beijing chosen to stage Games," edition.cnn.com, Ingrid Piper, for CNN

"Had Kazakhstan's pitch been successful it would have become the first central Asian nation to host the Winter Olympics.

With significant oil and gas reserves, it is now the largest economy in Central Asia and had been keen to use this event to increase investment, development and raise its profile....

Xu Jicheng, deputy director of Beijing 2022's press and communications department, said that "technically the pollution has been reduced and controlled, we have seven more years to go and it will be sunshine and white clouds."... 

 

Lack of choice

With only two cities -- both run by what could be considered authoritarian regimes -- bidding for the prestige of hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics the question arises as to whether the games -- and specifically the winter games -- have lost their allure.

High costs and dubious returns have arguably made democratic countries -- where politicians are forced to listen to their voting public and answerable to budget blowouts -- wary of hosting the world's biggest sporting events."...

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