A delegation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday began a sports infrastructure and transportation inspection visit to Sapporo, a city in northern Japan that is currently the only official candidate to host the 2030 Winter Games.
This visit is part of continuous dialogue between the IOC and Sapporo, which also hopes to be accepted technical advice this time, a municipal official explained to the AFP agency.
The three -member delegation plans to visit 16 places in the large department of the island of Hokkaido, of which Sapporo is the capital.
On the other hand, he should not visit facilities located elsewhere in Japan, such as Nagano, which will also host competitions if Sapporo is to be the host city of the 2030 Games, according to local media.
Sapporo hosted the Winter Olympics in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.
The capital of Hokkaido is also hosting a marathon and Olympic walking event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which have been postponed until 2021 and organized almost behind closed doors due to the global pandemic.
The first official candidate for the 2030 Winter Games, Sapporo is a logical favorite right now.
Other cities have also expressed interest in the Olympics. There’s Salt Lake City, a city in the southwestern United States that hosts the 2002 edition, and Vancouver, organizer of the 2010 Games.
The Spanish candidacy seems to have a lead. The region of Catalonia has just postponed a local referendum on this project, against a backdrop of disagreements in the neighboring region of Aragon (at the foot of the Spanish Pyrenees).
The IOC is expected to designate the city in 2023, at its next session.
Source: Radio-Canada
