Sapporo gives up 2030 bid, says it will consider hosting later Games

TOKYO : Japan's northern city of Sapporo has abandoned its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and will consider hosting the Games in 2034 or later, its mayor said on Wednesday, in the fallout of bribery and bid-rigging scandals linked to the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The mayor, Katsuhiro Akimoto made the announcement at a press conference alongside Yasuhiro Yamashita, the president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC).

Venues vying to hold the 2030 Games include Salt Lake City in the United States, Sweden, Switzerland and France.

Sapporo and the JOC had suspended active promotion of the city's bid amid a widening corruption scandal over the Tokyo Games.