Beijing recognized as leading international sports event city

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has been recognized as the world's leading sports event city, according to a report released Wednesday during an academic symposium on "Sports and Urban Development" at the Olympic Museum.

According to the Leading International Sports Event Cities Influence Index 2025, Beijing - the first city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games - joins Berlin, Doha, New York, Shanghai, Sydney, Paris, London, Tokyo and Los Angeles in the ranks of leading international sports event cities.

"In recent years, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports has leveraged the legacy of hosting both the Summer and Winter Olympics to create a 'Dual-Olympic City of International Sports Events,' thereby promoting the high-quality development of the sports sector," said Shi Fenghua, deputy director general of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports.

Paul Downward, a professor at the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, told Xinhua that Beijing holds a "unique position" after becoming the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

He added that this position reflects a broader international trend where countries use sports events to drive social and economic development.

"China's Olympic success also offers a distinct opportunity to enhance national pride and well-being through sport," Downward said.

The index, developed by Xinhua Indices Institute, establishes a systematic evaluation system for major global sports event cities based on four key dimensions: the city's sport DNA, event hosting capability, integrated sports industry ecosystem and global connectivity.

Following the principles of "broad coverage, benchmark alignment and strong representativeness," cities worldwide were screened using four selection criteria: industrial scale, event level, overall urban development and international influence. ■