Salt Lake City is not the only city recommended by the International Olympic Committee to host future Winter Games. France's French Alps region is also in the final stages of its bid to host the Winter Olympics, finalizing plans to host the Games in 2030, four years earlier than Utah.
Like the Salt Lake City-Utah Games Committee, the French bid team submitted the necessary submissions by last month's deadline for the IOC's Future Hosts Committee to inspect the proposed Winter Games site. I'm planning to visit. The commission will report on both bids to IOC leaders in June, with a final decision expected in July.
However, even though the IOC has set April 9-13 as dates for in-person viewing of Utah's proposed venue for the 2034 Winter Olympics and held a virtual media briefing detailing the bidding process. , the Deseret News is planning something similar in the French Alps, which the Swiss-based organization confirmed has not yet been finalized.
This has raised questions about France's late entry into hosting the Winter Olympics. France's bid clearly has many challenges, and it was first discussed less than a year ago, with the race officially starting in July 2023 to host the Winter Olympics. Utah, host of the 2002 Winter Olympics, has been hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics for 10 years.
France's vast bid covers the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions, from Chamonix in the north to Nice in the south. Chamonix was the site of his 1924 Winter Olympics, and Nice is a seaside city along the Cote d'Azur, also known as the Cote d'Azur.
Details of France's bid application to the IOC, recently reported by French ski magazine Ski Chrono, include a 55-page file and part of a 32-page appendix that includes “a map of places that have not yet evolved,” according to a translation. is published. When Gov. Spencer Cox and other officials passed on Utah's submission in February, the bid file was described as more than 30,000 words and 343 pages of appendices.
“If I had a hunch about this, I think they're in trouble because they don't have a solid plan,” said Robert Livingstone, a producer at Toronto-based GamesBids.com. He cited public information. Besides the opposition to France's bid, “there are also some questions about the use of the venue. Obviously, it's not as clean as Salt Lake City.”
They are working on a hastily constructed plan, unlike the Utah bid's “great plan that has been put together over years and years and years, building on the legacy from 2002.” They don't have all the guarantees and guarantees from government agencies and the like,” he said. “I think there are still many things that need to be resolved.”
Mr Livingstone tried to ask IOC officials when he planned to head to France to tour potential sites for the 2030 Winter Olympics, but the answer he got was “somewhat vague” and why the trip was canceled. He said he wondered if it had happened. Considering the schedule of the future host committee report, it has already been compiled.
“We need time because we have to submit nominations by June and elections in July. April seems like the best time to visit France,” Livingstone said. “So why didn't they say anything? I don't know. That's exactly why I asked the question. … I really don't know what's going on.”
He was told by Jacqueline Barrett, director of the IOC's Future Olympic Committee, that while “the context of each project is different”, the Future Olympic Committee would approach both bids with “the same kind of approach”. “I'm going to do that,” he said. The feeling of a visit and how we run it is the same. ”
A few days later, the IOC's head of communications told Deseret News that “the program for the visit to France has not yet been finalized”, including “an IOC media roundtable on the subject”.
Mark Conrad, professor of law and ethics and director of the sports business program at Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business in New York City, said plans for the French Alps bid are not more concrete at this time. He said he was surprised. Asked if France could catch up after falling so far behind, Conrad said: “I don't know.”
The professor said it's not clear what kind of venues France will use other than some mountain resorts, so “that's the big question, what is the infrastructure and how much will it cost to build?” “Is it true?” he said. To be honest, I never really looked into the bid because it was so vague. ”
He said the Winter Olympics were “very difficult” and had not attracted many serious bidders in the past.
This time, Salt Lake City is bidding to host the Games in 2030 or 2034, and will prioritize later dates to avoid competition for sponsorship with the 2028 Summer Games, which will be held in Los Angeles, another U.S. city. ing. The cities of Sapporo in Japan and Vancouver in Canada were aiming to run in 2030, but their candidacies stalled due to a lack of public support.
The IOC ultimately postponed the decision to move the Winter Olympics to the end of last year, giving other venues a chance to compete. Sweden and Switzerland soon came forward, and there was even talk of a European “super bid” by several countries before France joined the race.
In addition to advancing the French Alps and Salt Lake City to the so-called targeted dialogue stage of the bid and naming them as priority venues in 2030 and 2034, respectively, the IOC has announced that Switzerland will receive a new exclusive He invited them to participate in a “privileged dialogue.” 2038.
Salt Lake City is seen as a backup for the IOC in the event France's 2030 bid fails, but neither Livingston nor Conrad believe that will happen.
“Either we resolve the issue, come up with a plan together and get it approved,” said Livingstone, the French bidder. (IOC) members vote to decide whether they are in favor or against it. If I'm not ready, (the IOC says) okay, I'm not going to make the selection in July, I'm going to do more research or I'm going to choose another city or something. Obviously they've got Switzerland. ”
He said supporters of Switzerland's state bid continue to finalize plans for hosting the Winter Olympics.
“They're not just sitting around. They're doing the work. So who knows, maybe they're being put on the back burner just in case,” Livingston said. said, adding that at this point the IOC is not going to look to Salt Lake City and say, “We need you in 2030 right now.” Change gears. Perhaps this is why the IOC put Switzerland in hold mode there. Perhaps they thought of using Switzerland as a backup plan. ”
Conrad said he thought Switzerland's bid would be “best” for 2030, but believed the IOC would want the Winter Olympics to remain in Europe. Having been held every four years in Canada, Russia, South Korea and China since the 2006 Winter Games in Tornio, Italy, the 2026 Winter Games will once again be held in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
Salt Lake City is scheduled to be held in 2034, and “it would be really hard to say, 'Hey, do it four years early.' They'll probably look at the old location or maybe one of the other bidders.” I think we will. On top of that, we have the whole LA problem,” the professor said. With Salt Lake City rescheduled to 2030, the hosting of the two Winter Games will also be “up in the air, as the Olympics will not be held back-to-back.”
Both Utah and French officials have expressed confidence that this scenario will never occur.
In January, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur President Renaud Meuselier announced his plans for France to host the 2030 Winter Olympics after touring the Utah Olympic Park near Park City as part of a French trade delegation. I'm ready,'' he declared. situation. “We have snow, we have ski resorts, and we have skiers. In fact, we know how to do it.”
“What became very clear to me was that these guys were really committed and focused,” Fraser Bullock, chairman and CEO of the Utah Bid Committee, said recently after meeting with Muslier. That means we are doing it,” he said. They are getting the support they need. Yes, they got off to a slow start, but hey, they're going fast. Therefore, we are very confident that they will not only put together a great bid, but also host a great competition. ”
