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Beijing 2022 organizers say on-track despite virus outbreak

China has recorded almost 80,000 cases of the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, by far the most of any country.

BEIJING, China — Organizers of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games say they are on track to complete all competition venues by year-end and have teams in place for test events, despite the devastating impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak that originated in the country late last year.

The pledge was made by Beijing Vice Mayor Zhang Jiandong to participants in last week's World Broadcaster Meeting for the games who were relocated to Madrid because of the outbreak.

Zhang and other organizers participated online from committee headquarters in Beijing. Questions have arisen about whether this year's Tokyo Olympic Games can proceed with the virus still spreading.

China has recorded almost 80,000 cases of the virus that causes the disease COVID-19, by far the most of any country.

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If the games take place in China's capital, it will be from Feb. 4 to Feb 20, 2022. The city won the bid for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in July 2015. Beijing is set to become the first city in the world to have hosted both the summer and winter Olympic Games.

The vision is expected to be "Joyful Rendezvous upon Pure Ice and Snow." The 109 events in seven Olympic winter sports are expected to be held in the three competition zones of central Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou. 

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