Sapporo Changes Olympic Bid to 2030

September 18, 2018

Lausanne, Switzerland- Sapporo and the International Olympic Committee agreed Monday that the northern Japan city will seek to host the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics instead of the 2026 Games.

Sapporo Deputy Mayor Takatoshi Machida told IOC President Thomas Bach in a meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, that the Japanese city has given up the 2026 bid in favor of the 2030 Games. Bach showed understanding of the change.

The change reflected Sapporo's need for an immediate focus on recovery efforts following a deadly earthquake that struck the northern Japan prefecture of Hokkaido earlier this month. Sapporo is the capital of the prefecture.

"We'll first put a full focus on reconstruction. After this goal is achieved, we'll push ahead with the Olympic bid again," Machida told reporters after the meeting, which was also attended by Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda.

While expressing his sympathy to those affected by the earthquake and their families, Bach said the IOC is willing to continue dialogue with Sapporo on the 2030 bid.

Sapporo's shift to the 2030 process was also because redevelopment projects in the city linked to an extension of the Hokkaido Shinkansen high-speed rail line are nearly complete by the year. Jiji Press