IOC chief inspector impressed by Almaty's Olympics bid

The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission has said that he's impressed with Kazakh city Almaty's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

When asked what he thought of the Almaty bid on the third day of an inspection, Russian IOC member Alexander Zhukov said here Monday: "It has formed a very good impression on us," reports Xinhua.

Zhukov made the remarks while the IOC delegation was in the midst of its site inspection.

The IOC inspectors scrutinised the Medeu skating rink, which is situated at 1,700 metres above sea level, and the Shymbulak resort.

The Shymbulak resort will stage the women's and men's skiing downhill, Super-G, and Super Combined events, should Almaty win the bid for the 2022 Games.

Earlier in the day, the IOC inspection team visited the Olympic City, where the Games Village would be built.

"In the long run, the area will serve to meet Almaty's still growing demand for affordable housing. In total, there will be 5,800 new apartments in this modern and vibrant urban development," said Andrey Kryukov, vice chairman of the Almaty 2022 Bid Committee.

The IOC inspectors will continue their meetings with Almaty 2022 Tuesday.

Following the conclusion of the visit Wednesday, the Commission will visit China for the inspection of Beijing's bid from March 24-28. A final decision is scheduled to be made at an IOC session in Kuala Lumpur July 31.