BOA boss believes Chinese fans will be able to attend Winter Olympics

British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Anson says he understands fans will be present at next month’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Games officials are yet to announce whether tickets will be made available to the Chinese public amid mounting coronavirus concerns.

But Anson is confident spectators will be allowed, provided they are within the ‘closed loop’ system which is designed to seal Games participants off from the Chinese public for the duration of their stay.

Anson said: “We were told in our last update that we will have some spectators in the venues from within the ‘closed loop’ – that’s the latest update we’ve had on that.

“I’m really pleased for the athletes that there will be spectators in China. I think that will add a dimension over and above what we had in Tokyo, and will make the Games exciting.

“I was lucky enough with Manchester United and as CEO of the ATP tennis tour to be at live events out in China and to see the enthusiasm of the Chinese fans, so I think that is a positive for the Games.”

Despite having some of the strictest coronavirus rules in the world, Chinese officials have shut down three cities in recent weeks as the highly transmissible Omnicron variant begins to take hold.

And on Wednesday the International Olympic Association’s operations director Pierre Ducrey maintained there had been “no decision” on the possibility of admitting spectators.