In a format similar to that operated during the recent question-and-answer session before the International Federations, the French Alps 2030 and Salt Lake City – Utah 2034 candidacies presented their respective concepts to the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) , less than a month now before the official designation of the Hosts of the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games.
View of Olympic House, IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland (Credits – IOC / Adam Mork)
This Wednesday, June 26, 2024, just one month before the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, members of the Olympic institution were invited by videoconference to attend an information session and the presentation of the projects designed by the French candidacy and the American candidacy, respectively for the winter editions of 2030 and 2034.
For around thirty minutes each, the candidacy of the French Alps and that of Salt Lake City – Utah were able to develop their vision of the global event and their commitment to renewing the experience of the Winter Games, the two files based on in addition to obvious expertise in major sporting events.
For the occasion, around a hundred members of the IOC were present at the meeting punctuated by questions and answers at the end of the presentation as was the case during the presentation to the International Federations on May 28, in order to to delve into specific points in the files if necessary.
As Fraser Bullock, Executive Director of the Salt Lake City – Utah 2034 Bid Committee, summarized:
This was the first of two presentations to all IOC members.
This presentation is the result of years of work and successive stages that we were able to present for the first time today to the IOC members, and this presentation concerned the technical aspect.
From left to right, Karl Stoss, President of the IOC Future Host Commission; Erin Mendenhall, Mayor of Salt Lake City; and Christophe Dubi, IOC Director in charge of the Olympic Games, during the Future Host Commission’s visit to Utah, Saturday April 13, 2024 (Credits – Facebook official page of Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall)
For the two contenders selected by the IOC for the 2030 and 2034 Olympic Games, this week’s presentation was a major milestone, even if the die seems to have been cast for several months now, with the Lausanne (Switzerland) institution trying to formally secure the award of the Games.
Thus, by selecting the French Alps for a targeted dialogue with a view to the 2030 edition, and by doing the same with the Host City of the 2002 Olympic Games for the 2034 deadline, the IOC had shown the way at the end of the year 2023.
Since then, applications have passed the thresholds set by the institution month after month, in particular with regard to the official submission of technical files and financial guarantees between February and March 2024, although on this last point, the guarantee of the The French State is still awaiting delivery given the reservations expressed by the national authorities on the budgetary part and in light of the current political and institutional context.
The applications also had the honor of receiving a visit from the Future Host Commission during the month of April 2024. Visits which ultimately confirmed the said Commission in its perception of the two projects, which rely heavily on experience and legacy of the Winter Games already orchestrated in the French Alps – on the northern part – in 1924 (Chamonix), 1968 (Grenoble) and especially 1992 (Albertville), and in Utah with the 2002 edition.
Now, the French Alps and Salt Lake City – recommended this month by the IOC Executive Board – will be able to concentrate on the final formal presentation that will directly precede the election of the 2030 and 2034 Hosts according to the principle of double attribution that the IOC had already implemented for the 2024-2028 summer events with Paris and Los Angeles.
This presentation will take place during the day of July 24 in the Palais des Congrès in Paris (17th arrondissement), which will then host the IOC Session as a preamble to the opening of the Summer Games. in the French capital.
From left to right, Christophe Dubi, IOC Executive Director in charge of the Olympic Games; Laurent Wauquiez, President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region; Karl Stoss, President of the IOC Future Host Commission for the Winter Games; David Lappartient, President of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee; Marie-Amélie Le Fur, President of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee; Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice; and Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur Region, during the closing press conference of the visit of the Future Host Commission to the French Alps, Friday April 26, 2024 (Credits – CNOSF / Pierre -Emmanuel Trigo)
If for Salt Lake City, relatively minor points with regard to the quality of the concept must be finalized by this date, with regard to the French Alps file, the French sports authorities hope to be able to present the guarantee of the State between July 8 and 24, knowing that the early legislative elections decided on the evening of the European election of June 9, will in all likelihood lead to a change of government following the renewal of the National Assembly.
Earlier this month, IOC President Thomas Bach was not worried about this announced institutional upheaval, at least in terms of the impact on the final preparations for Paris 2024.
Also, as pointed out in a statement cited by “The Team”the President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur Region, Renaud Muselier, very involved in this project led in coordination with the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region of his counterpart, Laurent Wauquiez:
I came here with some concern about what is happening, but we have a very good file, very well prepared, and in the questions that emerge, I do not feel the candidacy in danger.
She is still on track and very good.
Also wanting to be confident about the outcome of the candidacy, David Lappartient, President of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), delivered a pragmatic message on the situation.
As the one who is also a member of the IOC explained:
For the moment, no one disputes or questions [la candidature].
We have not seen any hostility to the French Alps 2030 candidacy, for which there is no reason [de ne pas obtenir la garantie de l’État].
