Many countries initially applied to host the 2022 Olympics. But over time, one by one, they withdrew their candidacy – countries such as Norway, Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, Switzerland, Germany – in many cases alleging the high costs of hosting the Olympics and lack of popular support in their country.

In the end, China and Kazakhstan were the two remaining candidates. Beijing won by four votes. The headquarters selection process was so bad that the IOC eliminated it. Now, the host city is selected through a closed process.

Is it snowing in Beijing?

Not many. Two cities northwest of the capital, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, will host outdoor ski events, but even the area receives only about two inches of snow per year.

The remaining snow will be artificially created. Professional skiers are used to racing on artificial snow, especially in a warm world, although such snow can also exacerbate the environmental impact of ski slopes.

Will any country boycott the game?

China’s human rights record, including abuse of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region and suppression of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, has prompted activists around the world to urge countries and sponsors to boycott the Beijing Olympics.

Calls escalated in November with the disappearance from public life of Peng Shuai, a Chinese tennis player and three-time Olympic athlete, after accusing a former top government official of sexual harassment.

However, the chances of any country boycotting the Beijing Olympics completely – that is, refusing to send its athletes to compete – seems very slim. In contrast, several countries, including the United States, Australia, United Kingdom and Canada, have announced a “diplomatic boycott” of the game, meaning that their government officials will not attend any ceremonies or events.