(ATR) Sapporo is out of the 2026 Olympic race, leaving four bidders in the contest to secure the Games.
The IOC and Sapporo officials today cited the September earthquake as the main reason why the city was abandoning its quest for the 2026 Olympics.
The announcement was widely expected, as reported by Around the Rings on Friday. It followeda meeting Monday in Lausanne between representatives of the Japanese Olympic Committee, city of Sapporo and IOC officials including president Thomas Bach.
The Japanese delegation includedJOC president Tsunekazu Takeda and Sapporo deputy mayor Takatoshi Machida.
Sapporo had participated in the dialogue stage of the Winter Games 2026 candidature process. But for many months, Japanese officials have been considering quitting the 2026 race to focus on the 2030 Winter Olympics. The natural disaster expedited the decision to withdraw from the contest.
"The IOC once again expressed its sympathy for the victims and families of all those affected by the recent earthquake in Hokkaido, Japan, which has left 41 dead and caused considerable damage, with many still in temporary shelters," the IOC said in a statement.
"For this reason, the city of Sapporo, the Japanese Olympic Committee and the IOC agreed today that the IOC would not put Sapporo on the list of candidates for the Olympic Winter Games 2026."
The IOC said it planned "to continue with the close dialogue already underway for the Olympic Winter Games 2030".
"The IOC expressed its understanding that recovery from the earthquake in the region should be the immediate principle focus but greatly appreciated the continued strong commitment as a future host for the Olympics," the IOC statement added.
After the exit of Sion and Graz earlier this year, only four 2026 bids remain: Calgary, Stockholm, Erzurum in Turkey and a joint Italian effort.
The IOC Executive Board will announce which of them progresses from the dialogue stage to the candidature phase after its meeting next month in Buenos Aires.
The IOC Session in Milan, Italy will vote on the host city in September 2019.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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