Japan's Sapporo ends Winter Olympic bid

TOKYO, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The northern Japanese city of Sapporo on Tuesday announced the withdrawal of its bid, spanning almost a decade, to host the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The announcement was made by Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed last month that the French Alps and U.S. Salt Lake City-Utah were the sole candidates to host the 2030 and 2