Olympics & Paralympics

Sapporo Drops 2030 Winter Olympic Bid, Aiming for 2034 or Later

The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Olympic rings are seen in Sapporo.

Jiji Press

17:37 JST, October 11, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Sapporo has given up its bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, switching its target to 2034 or later, officials said Wednesday.

Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto and Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita unveiled the decision at a press conference after their talks in Tokyo.

The Sapporo city government had been working to host the 2030 Games, but it concluded that it would be unable to gain support from its residents due to public distrust stemming from corruption and bid-rigging scandals related to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics held in 2021. The JOC has decided to support Sapporo if the city switches its bid to the 2034 Games or later.