Beijing Deja Vu

Here we go again... China bidding for another Olympic Games...

Have you heard that Beijing wants to do what no other city has ever done before and become the first metropolis to host both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games?

The Chinese capital has already put in its bid for 2022 and the only other city competing for the honour is Almaty, Kazakhstan because Oslo, Norway gave up, along with Lviv, Ukraine, and Krakow, Poland.

These other cities withdrew their applications either because their citizens were not interested in hosting the event, or the cost was too much -- particularly after it was revealed Russia spent $51 billion on the Sochi Games, more than the $40 billion China spent in 2008.

Here's the video to evoke the warm fuzzy feelings of the Olympic Games all over again:

It's pretty bizarre watching some of the Summer Olympics venues be turned into winter sport locations. The Water Cube transformed into the curling venue? Are they going to freeze the Olympic-sized swimming pool?

And Wukesong where basketball matches were held would be transformed into an ice hockey rink?

The city doesn't get much snow these days, which is why the downhill skiing portion would be held in Zhangjiakou, 200 kilometres northwest of Beijing.

So it pretty much looks like Beijing is the hands down winner -- but wait -- what about the air?

A few weeks ago the Beijing Marathon took place and city officials were embarrassed as runner had to breathe in the toxic air and several quit part way through the race, unable to breathe.

And now with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit happening in a few days, the Chinese capital is still covered with haze and dangerously high air pollution levels.

Media director of Beijing's bid committee Wang Hui -- who by the way was also the media spokesperson during the Summer Games -- said the city would implement a two-step plan to clean the air with targets for 2017 and 2022.

"Beijing has called upon cooperation in major provinces and districts in northern China and will mobilize all its resources to clean up the air and bring down the air quality index value," Wang said. "We'll make sure by 2022 the air quality in Beijing is the best for athletes to compete."

Why should they only be concerned about athletes? Why not clean up the air for the residents of the city?

The China Face machine is back up and running again, fulfilling this need to present an image to the world and not being concerned about its own citizens.

If China wins again, what will Ai Weiwei do in response?

Passionate Olympian

As the sole Hong Kong athlete at Sochi, Barton Lui Pan-to waves the flag

The Sochi Winter Olympics are well underway and Hong Kong's only athlete competing in the international event has made his appearance and exit in a flash.

Barton Lui Pan-to was the first male athlete to represent Hong Kong in the men's 1500m short track and didn't make it past the second heat, coming in fifth out of six with a time of 2 minutes 22.139 seconds.

However for the 20 year old it was not his time that was important, but the whole Olympic experience.

"This is the first time I came here, to the Winter Olympics, representing my hometown Hong Kong," he said. "I am so touched and so excited to be competing in front of thousands of people in the crowd, and my friends sitting in front of the TV. It is the first time for me to feel so many people on my back.

Lui (221) races against his idol Victor An in the second heat

"They did not really care what my results is or whether I am going to get a gold medal because I am here already. I thank my family and friends and everyone who cares about me and who loves me."

Spoken like an Olympian.

When asked to go over the race, Lui was thrilled to be racing in the same heat as his idol Victor An [originally South Korean but competed for Russia], but found the whole thing overwhelming.

"At the moment the referee started the race I am blank, so happy -- I have never experienced that before," said Lui. "It is a unique feeling. I will treasure this moment and remember it for the rest of my life, and share it with my friends and hopefully my kids."

Lui started skating when he was 10 years old at Cityplaza in Taikoo Shing and watched the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver when he was studying and training in the host city.

That inspired his Olympic ambition and since then his parents have mostly financed his training in China with a provincial team in Harbin and in South Korea. His proud parents were in the stands cheering him on last night.

"I have been travelling everywhere non-stop because I love short track, nothing else," he said.

"The Winter Olympics is not something that everyone can go to. For four years, every athlete in every country and every skater is fighting for this and surviving all those races and training just to be here," explained Lui.

He has perfectly captured the essence of what it is like to be an athlete chasing the Olympic dream, living the moment and then remembering it forever.

Hopefully he will inspire other Hong Kong kids to follow their dreams -- athletic or not -- but also realize that it takes hard work, determination, discipline and most importantly passion to succeed in anything.

In any event he's already decided he's going to train hard for the 2018 Winter Games. Watch out for Lui!