A strong earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale occurred in Hokkaido on the 6th, and some roads and houses in Sapporo City collapsed, causing the local to decide to give up the bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Original title: Sapporo, Japan gave up bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics
Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, September 17 (reporter Yan Lei) Sapporo City, Japan announced on the 17th that it would give up bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics and won the understanding of the International Olympic Committee.
According to the Kyodo News Agency of Japan, Machida Longmin, deputy mayor of Sapporo City, chairman of the Japanese Olympic Committee, and chairman of the Japanese Olympic Committee, held talks with the president of the International Olympic Committee Bach in Lausanne on the same day to explain the earthquake disaster in Hokkaido, and informed the decision to abandon the bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics. This decision was understood by the IOC.
Sapporo City has previously participated in the “dialogue stage” as the first stage of the bidding process, that is, the cities interested in bidding obtain suggestions from the International Olympic Committee and formulate the bidding plan. However, there has always been a voice from the folk to bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics in order to cooperate with the extension of Hokkaido Shinkansen to Sapporo. In addition, a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.7 occurred on the 6th of Hokkaido, and some roads and houses in Sapporo City collapsed, as a result, The Local decided to give up bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
With Siyong, Switzerland, Graz, Austria and Sapporo, Japan announced their withdrawal one after another, the cities that are still interested in bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics include Stockholm in Sweden, Erzurum in Turkey and Calgary in Canada, as well as Milan, Turin and cortiana danpezo in Italy. The International Olympic Committee will announce the host city of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy in 2019.