If it were up to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the 2030 Winter Olympics would be held in the French Alps, with Salt Lake City becoming the host city in 2034. The French and American organizing committees would work to refine their plans alongside the IOC. International Olympic Committee in the coming months.
It is not yet a traditional award for the French Alps and Salt Lake City, which preferred it over Switzerland and others that were considering holding skiing competitions in Thialv.
The stage that begins now, for the French and American organizers, is called the “targeted dialogue.” “You can’t get too close to an allocation at this stage,” Fraser Bullock, president of the US organizing committee, told local media. The final decision will be made in July 2024.
Finished by the author
Erik van Lackerveld has been writing about Olympic sports such as skiing, athletics and rowing since 2016.
The International Olympic Committee has changed its Winter Games allocation procedures for the Games from 2030 onwards. To prevent these elections from turning into a beauty contest in which the country with the deepest financial resources – and the least scruples – wins, there are no longer elections between the candidates. In the past, this has led to expensive Winter Games. For example, the 2014 edition in Sochi, which cost more than 40 billion euros.
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important
Olympic directors also see how fewer countries are able to raise enough support and money to organize the Winter Games. It is also clear that winter sports are under pressure due to climate change. This is why sustainability is becoming increasingly important.
Appropriations Committee Chairman Karl Stuss explained in a press conference on Wednesday evening that the sustainability aspect was the reason for choosing Salt Lake City. “There they can build on the legacy of 2002. There is no need for large investments and they have a lot of experience in organizing major winter sports tournaments.”
There’s a good chance Salt Lake City will become a permanent site for the Winter Games in the future, along with three or four other sites that can still count on winter weather several decades from now.
Support among local residents
The Allocation Committee was also very satisfied with the plans of the French Alps, which in particular could organize snow sports in a compact area in 2030. As with the American proposal, the French organization has great support among local residents and from politicians. .
Nice will be a place for ice sports, but from the Dutch point of view, the French plan is still missing something important: an ice rink for ice skating. Stoess stressed that the French must provide clarification on this matter before July 2024. “This could be a temporary job, or a job in a neighboring country. We are open to everything. A new ice rink in France is also an option. As long as there is a plan Before July.
