The ugly side to China hosting the Olympics has taken center stage. What happens now?
Beijing might have seemed like the best option at the time.
The International Olympic Committee needed somewhere to stage its 2022 Winter Games after several European capitals withdrew from bidding, scared away by the risk of hosting and paying for a multibillion-dollar sports event. The only remaining suitors were Beijing and the little-known city of Almaty in Kazakhstan.
When IOC members convened in July 2015 to cast their votes, the Chinese capital prevailed by a slim majority.
"This is really a safe choice," IOC president Thomas Bach said, predicting the winner could reliably "deliver on its promises."
Seven years later, as the Feb. 4 opening ceremony draws near, Bach and his colleagues still are paying the price for selecting a host country with a reputation for human rights abuses. Their standard line — — has failed to quiet global condemnation from activists, human rights organizations and some athletes.
