French Alps To Host 2030 Winter Olympics- Facts You Need To Know

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that France has been conditionally selected to host the 2030 Winter Games. However, the country must secure important financial guarantees in the coming months.

Although the French Alps bid has been favored since June, the recent elections have delayed the necessary state and regional financial guarantees from the current caretaker government.

France is required to have these guarantees signed by its prime minister by October 1 and ratified by parliament by March 1, 2025, according to the IOC. To reassure the IOC and demonstrate his support, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the committee before the vote on Wednesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated, “I confirm the full commitment of the French nation, and assure you that I will ask the next prime minister to include not only this guarantee but also an Olympic Law in the priorities of the new government.”

He added, “Seven years ago we made the same commitment (for the Paris 2024 Summer Games), and we delivered. We will do the same.”

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The IOC stated that it had received several assurances regarding the necessary guarantees, including the state’s Olympic delivery guarantee and the financial guarantees from the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions.

However, the IOC clarified that it would not countersign the host city contract, already signed by France, until these guarantees are provided.

The decision to award France the 2030 Winter Games received overwhelming support, with 84 out of 88 votes in favor. This will mark France’s hosting of the Winter Games six years after the Summer Olympics in Paris, set to begin on Friday.

The project aims to connect the northern and southern French Alps. French Olympic chief David Lappartient expressed his happiness, noting that significant resources were invested in the bid over the past year.

He also highlighted the opportunity to build on the expertise gained from Paris 2024. France has previously hosted the Winter Games in Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992).

When Will 2030 Olympic And Paralympic Winter Games Take Place?

The 2030 Olympic Winter Games are planned to take place from February 1 to 17, with the Paralympic Winter Games following from March 1 to 10.

What Are The Proposed Venues?

The proposed venues for the French Alps 2030 include four main zones: Haute Savoie, Savoie, Briançon, and Nice. Five Olympic Villages are planned to ensure all athletes are housed within 30 minutes of their competition venues.

The master plan incorporates three venues from the 1992 Albertville Winter Games: La Plagne’s sliding track, the ski jump in Courchevel, and Méribel’s Roc de Fer downhill Alpine skiing course.

Additional snow venues are proposed in La Clusaz, Le Grand Bornand, Serre Chevalier, and Montgenèvre. Nice, located on the Mediterranean coast, is proposed to host most ice sports, except for speed skating, which would be held outside France to avoid constructing a new venue without a sustainable post-Games plan.

The Closing Ceremony might take place along Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, a 7-kilometer stretch along the coast, marking the first time a Winter Games ceremony would be held outside a stadium. A venue for the Opening Ceremony has not been determined yet.

Which Athletes Are Supporting Winter Olympics 2030?

Notable athletes supporting the French Alps 2030 bid include Olympic medalists Martin Fourcade, Anaïs Bescond, Vincent Jay, Hugo Lapalus, Carole Montillet, and Alexis Pinturault, as well as Paralympic medalists Marie Bochet and Arthur Bauchet.

Other Olympians like bobsleigh athlete Margot Boch and Alpine skier Cyprien Sarrazin, along with Paralympic snowboard champion Maxime Montaggioni, are also in favor of the bid.

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