China's Winter bid may lose out to soccer World Cup

BEIJING, Feb 5 (Reuters) Hopes that a successful Asian Winter Games could lead to a Chinese bid for the Olympic equivalent are likely to be stymied by a desire for the country to host the soccer World Cup, according to a top sports official.

He Zhenliang, honorary president of the country's Olympic Committee and a key figure in Beijing's successful bid to host the 2008 Summer Games, said in Jilin province last week that the time to bid for the Winter Games would ''come soon''.

The next Winter Olympics China could bid for would be in 2018 but Xiao Tian, deputy sports minister and Chef de Mission in Changchun, said the other big sporting event taking place that year would prove more tempting.

''Comparatively, the General Administration of Sports would prefer a bid for the 2018 soccer World Cup to the Winter Olympics,'' Xiao told the Beijing News.

Despite China topping the medal table with their biggest haul of golds in the history of their participation in the Asian Winter Games, the country remains less than a power on the world stage.

''Until the more Chinese athletes capture more gold medals at more winter sports, China will not bid for a Winter Olympics in the near future,'' twice Olympic bronze medallist and former world champion pairs figure skater Shen Xie told Reuters last week.

Olympic champion short track speed skater Wang Meng, who won two golds in Changchun, had a plan to get involved in the Beijing Games next year despite the absence of snow and ice sports.

''It's certainly a pity we cannot join in the great event,'' said Wang. ''I'd be very happy if I could be a volunteer.'' Shen also hoped China's top winter athletes could get involved.

''I hope we can do something, like performing at the opening or closing ceremony?'' she said.

The next Winter Olympics will be hosted by Vancouver in 2010. Russia's Sochi, Pyeonchang in South Korea and the Austrian city of Salzburg are on the short-list for 2014.

The Chinese city of Harbin bid for the 2010 Games but failed to get on the short-list.

REUTERS DH VV1008