Sunday 27 October 2019 08:38, UK
China's capital Beijing will hold its first test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics in February when it hosts an Alpine Skiing World Cup event.
A total of 111 athletes from 19 countries and regions have already registered to compete in the February 15-16 event in Yanqing to the north of Beijing with the event featuring two disciplines - men's downhill and men's super G.
Yanqing is one of the three competition zones for the 2022 Games, set to host Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh and Luge.
Beijing and the nearby city of Zhangjiakou won the right to host the Games in 2015, beating the only other bidding city of Kazakhstan's Almaty after all other competitors dropped out, citing costs and other concerns.
While Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Games to wide acclaim, its bid for the Winter Games was dogged by numerous issues, such as corruption, the city's notorious smog, a lack of snow and China's poor human rights record.
