Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted Friday that his country may be looking to host the 2032 Summer Olympics.
When asked by a group of volunteers from the 2018 FIFA World Cup games in St. Petersburg and 10 other Russian cities if the country planned to try hosting a future Summer Olympic Games, Putin said “this is quite possible,” according to TASS.
Putin said the country has not formally submitted a bid for 2032, but said the government should be thinking about how to use the new sports facilities that were built for the World Cup.
The next three summer Olympic Games have been assigned, and the international board is in the process of planning the location for 2032, 14 years out. The next three games are scheduled for Tokyo, Paris, and Los Angeles.
Russia just hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
In 2016, Russian athletes were banned from participating in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics due to widespread doping in its athletic teams. Some athletes were later allowed to compete as “independents” after passing on-site drug tests.
