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[ad_1] STOCKHOLM: Sweden's Olympic Committee said on Thursday it would move ahead with plans to bid for the 2030 Winter Games after a feasibility study showed favourable results. "Our preliminary study shows that Sweden has the possibility, know-how and willingness to organise the 2030 Winter Games," chairman of the Swedish Olympic Committee Hans von Uthmann said in a statement. "I have informed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that Sweden wants to proceed to step two in the process and the IOC has welcomed us to the next phase, which is regular dialogue," he said. The IOC had initially been due to announce the host city this year but has postponed its decision until 2024, citing challenges presented by climate change. But the reality is that there are few candidates: the Japanese city of Sapporo, once seen as a favourite, has put its bid on hold following a corruption scandal surrounding the summer 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Other bids have bee

[ad_1] MARSEILLE: The president of the 2024 Paris Olympics organising committee on Friday said athletes should not "suffer" from decisions they do not control amid an escalating row over allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete. The issue has divided opinion since Russia invaded Ukraine last February and used Belarusian territory to launch its offensive. That led to bans from several major sporting events. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last week said it was examining a "pathway" to allow Russians to participate in Paris, probably as neutral athletes rather than under their national flag, a position backed by the United States on Thursday. But Kyiv has called for a complete ban on Russian participation, with a Ukrainian presidential aide accusing the IOC of being a "promoter of war". The head of the Russian Olympic Committee has demanded his athletes be able to compete without restrictions, but the IOC said some sanctions again