The Japanese Olympic Committee plans to approve Sapporo as a candidate to host the Winter Olympics if the city aims to do so in 2034 or later, instead of the initially planned 2030 time frame.
The plan, made Tuesday at a JOC board meeting in Tokyo, came amid a significant drop in public support for Sapporo's bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics, following widespread bribery and bid-rigging scandals related to the Tokyo Olympics.
Sapporo was once considered the frontrunner for 2030, but the International Olympic Committee appears to have shifted its focus to other candidates as the scandals have eroded support for another Olympics in Japan so soon, according to sources.
No proposal has been made in Japan to host the Winter Olympics in 2034 or later, but the JOC will consider it as well, along with Sapporo, if there is any other city wishing to do so.
"A public survey shows 60 percent of people opposing it," JOC board member Keiko Momii said of Sapporo's 2030 bid. "We should take more time and try to gain understanding from the public. Therefore, we opened things up for various possibilities."
