Olympics: Sapporo withdraws from 2026 Winter Games bid

The northern Japan city of Sapporo told the International Olympic Committee on Monday that it will give up its bid for the Winter Olympics in 2026.The capital of Hokkaido, which hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics, decided to give up the 2026 bid following the Sept. 6 magnitude 6.7 earthquake that killed more than 40 people and triggered a massive power outage.The city found it impossible to proceed with the bid due to the need to repair damage from the quake and will now aim to stage the games in 2030.The IOC approved the city's decision at a meeting with Sapporo Deputy Mayor Takatoshi Machida…READ FULL ARTICLE