EXPLAINER: Why does Beijing have the Olympics again?

By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer

The Beijing Winter Olympics open in just under two months and are now the target of a diplomatic boycott by the United States with others likely to follow. So how did Beijing land the Winter Olympics so soon after it was host to the Summer Olympics in 2008? It will become the first city in Olympic history to host both the Winter and Summer Games. The situation arose when six European cities withdrew bids — or did not follow through — because of failed referendums or fears over costs. The International Olympic Committee had only two candidates — Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, when voting took place in 2015 in Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia.