The International Olympic Committee will conduct inspections at the end of this month of venues the Sapporo Olympic organizers intend to use if the city is selected to host the 2030 Winter Games, a source with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday.
IOC staff will visit venues in Hokkaido, northern Japan, to check on their current operating conditions and sizes in order for the IOC's winter Future Host Commission, charged with identifying host cities, to compile the materials and documents it needs.
The inspection is done in private and takes a few days. Japanese Olympic Committee representatives will accompany inspectors.
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According to the IOC, no discussions are expected to take place during the inspections, and Future Host Commission members will not take part in the trip to collect information on the progress of planning and venue development.
The IOC has reportedly already conducted its inspection of rival bidder Salt Lake City, Utah.
According to the Sapporo bid outline, competitions would take place at 13 different venues, excluding Sapporo Dome, which would host the opening and closing ceremonies.
The current bid plan has speed skating being held in Obihiro, Hokkaido, and alpine skiing at Hokkaido's Niseko mountain resort. Bobsleigh and sledding events would be held in Nagano, the host of the 1998 Winter Olympics.
The IOC will not inspect the Nagano venues on this trip.
In addition to the 1972 host Sapporo and 2002 host Salt Lake City, Vancouver, the 2010 host, and Spain's regions of Catalonia and Aragon have also shown interest in holding the 2030 Olympics.
