International

Beijing has won the battle to host the 2022 Winter Olympics after Chinese president Xi Jinping made a last-minute vow to lay on a “fantastic, extraordinary and excellent” event.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegates handed the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic events to Beijing on Friday afternoon following a secret ballot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Earlier, president Xi Jinping threw his weight behind China’s bid, promising the “strongest support” for the Beijing Games in a one-minute video address to the IOC delegates.

A Beijing Olympics would “boost exchanges and mutual understanding between the Chinese and other civilisations of the world,” Xi said.

“The Chinese people are looking forward to this opportunity. Let me assure you that if you choose Beijing the Chinese people will present to the world a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Olympic Winter Games in Beijing,” Xi added.