Japanese Olympic Committee decides to withdraw from bidding for the right to host the 2030 Winter Olympics

Japan changes, stops "race" to win the right to host the 2030 Winter Olympics. (Source: AFP)

Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto and JOC President Yasuhiro Yamashita met in Tokyo on October 11 to make the decision.

Speaking to the press, Mayor Yamashita apologized to the people of Sapporo and Hokkaido for this decision. He affirmed that the hasty race to win the right to host the Winter Olympics could hurt the value of sports.

He admitted that Sapporo will still face a difficult road to bid for the 2034 Winter Olympics following bribery and bidding fraud scandals related to the 2020 Summer Olympics hosted by Japan.

Sweden, Switzerland and France are considering joining the race to host the 2030 Winter Olympics.

Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, originally aimed to host the 2026 Winter Olympics but changed plans to focus on repairing damage caused by a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan's northern main island in September 2018, killing more than 40 people and causing widespread power outages.