Less than six months after the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which were delayed one year due to the coronavirus pandemic, another Japanese city is accelerating its preparations to bid for another Games.
But while Sapporo says it can produce an affordable, sustainable Winter Games with existing facilities, questions over public support for the bid could create problems for local supporters and concerns about its viability with the International Olympic Committee.
Sapporo's quest for the 2030 Games comes a half century after it hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics — the first time the event was ever held in Asia. Those Games drew 1,600 officials and athletes from 35 countries.
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