LAUSANNE — Beijing leaders Tuesday handed over their official bid to stage the 2022 Winter Olympics to the IOC heightening their battle with Kazakhstan's Almaty. The event is guaranteed to be staged in Asia as Beijing and Almaty are the only candidates. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will make a final decision in July. Almaty's sporting and bid leaders were to give their official guarantees to IOC officials later Tuesday. An IOC evaluation committee will go to Almaty on Feb. 14-18 and to Beijing from March 24-28. — Reuters
