KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Beijing has been selected to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming the first city awarded both the winter and summer games.

Beijing defeated Almaty, Kazakhstan, in a vote of the International Olympic Committee on Friday. The voting numbers were not immediately released.

The Chinese capital, which hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, came in as the favorite. Despite a lack of natural snow and winter conditions, Beijing was seen by the IOC as a reliable and safe choice.

Almaty had hoped to bring the games to Central Asia for the first time and raise Kazakhstan's profile on the international stage.