Sapporo expected to drop out of 2026 Winter Olympic bid race

Why might Sapporo withdrawal from the 2026 bid but go for the 2030 one? It can't be just because there was an earthquake there a couple of weeks ago.

Do they have less competition for the 2030 Games? They don't think 8 years is enough time to prepare? Do they expect they'll come into more money for the Games 12 years later?

Yeah, why bankrupt yourself in 2026 when you can have a 4-year reprieve and bankrupt yourself in 2030 instead?

The Olympics are a scam. Governments and sponsors, once committed, can’t really say say that they didn’t get any economic boost out of it after committing billions of dollars and the “feel good” publicity. Good thing Sapporo pulled out.

I have been suggesting for many years for countries, instead of cities, to host Summer and Winter Olympics. This way, more of the country can feel involved and the likelihood that existing infrastructure is present aleready is increased, diminishing the cost of the games. While it’s true that the opening ceremonies wouldn’t have all the athletes, I think it’s a small price to pay for more economical competitions.