Paris: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has conditionally selected France to host the 2030 Winter Olympics, contingent upon the provision of key financial guarantees. The French Alps bid emerged as the preferred choice in June, but due to ongoing elections and a caretaker government, the necessary state and regional financial assurances were delayed.
The IOC requires France to secure these guarantees, signed by the Prime Minister, by October 1, with parliamentary ratification by March 1, 2025. French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the IOC session before the vote, expressing strong support for the bid.
Emmanuel Macron stated that, “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.”
IOC President Thomas Bach said that, “President Macron and all stakeholders in French Alps 2030 have reiterated their full commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2030. We have full confidence in France to organise an outstanding edition of the Olympic Winter Games, with the same creativity, imagination and flair we are currently experiencing at Paris 2024.”
The IOC noted several assurances had been received, covering the state’s Olympic delivery guarantee and financial guarantees from the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur regions. However, the host city contract, already signed by France, will not be countersigned by the IOC until these guarantees are secured.
The French bid received overwhelming support, earning 84 out of 88 votes. If the guarantees are met, France will host the Winter Games six years after the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, set to begin on July 26th. The project aims to unite the northern and southern French Alps. France has previously hosted the Winter Games in Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992).
French Olympic chief David Lappartient remarked that, “This is a feeling of happiness. During the last year, we invested massively in the bid. Now, this is it. Never has an Olympic bid been so fast and then succeeded. This allows us to follow the wave of Paris 2024, benefiting from their expertise.”
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