The Japanese of Sapporo do not lower the pace in the campaign of candidature to the Winter Games in 2030. A delegation of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) made the trip to Italy, to visit the organizing committee of the Games of Milan-Cortina 2026. It was led by the president of the JOC, the former judoka Yasuhiro Yamashita. Officially, it was not a visit of the Sapporo 2030 team, but it is not difficult to guess behind the trip to Europe of the Japanese delegation an additional step in the Olympic campaign of the capital of the Hokkaido prefecture. The Japanese were received by the two main leaders of Milan-Cortina 2026, the president of the organizing committee, Giovanni Malagò (also IOC member and president of the Italian Olympic Committee), and the director general Vincenzo Novari, announced departure last March, but still in his position. The city of Sapporo is presented as the favorite for the Winter Games 2030, facing its two North American rivals, Salt Lake City and Vancouver.
