French Alps in Line to Host 2030 Olympic Winter Games

(Bloomberg) — The French Alps and Salt Lake City were picked as the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee, with the US city given another shot at avoiding scandal. 

The result was not a surprise, after the two venues had already been designated as the IOC’s preferred candidates, part of a new process introduced to avoid the beauty-parade style of selection that had been criticized both for wasting money and encouraging potential corruption. 

However, the return of the Games to Utah followed a pledge from the city’s organizers, which promised to work with the IOC to ensure that the World Anti-Doping Agency’s authority is not undermined on US soil. The US Department of Justice recently begun an investigation into alleged doping by Chinese swimmers before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, a move that drew criticism from IOC members, which sees WADA as the global arbiter on doping in sports.  

IOC officials said that the Games would be revoked if US officials did not respect the “supreme authority” of WADA. 

“We are committed to fostering WADA’s authority” given their important role in keeping doping out of Olympic sport and “are committed to solving this issue,” said Gene Sykes, chair of the US Olympic Committee.

Salt Lake City hosted the Games back in 2002, an event that was engulfed in scandal, led by allegations that IOC member accepted gifts from the bidders to secure the Games. Several IOC members were expelled over the scandal and US Senator Mitt Romney was brought in to head the organizing committee. 

For Salt Lake City, the abundance of existing infrastructure, some of it left over from the 2002 Olympics, was a draw. The organizers are forecasting a budget of $2.8 billion for 2034 with only existing or temporary infrastructure, almost in line with the $2.7 billion spent 22 years earlier. 

The French Alps were picked “subject to the submission of a ‘Games Delivery Guarantee’” from the new French government, IOC President Thomas Bach said at a meeting in Paris after the votes were cast.  

For France and president Emmanuel Macron, who was present at the IOC meeting, it’s a vote of confidence for the picturesque Alps region to secure the Games just as Paris is about to host the summer edition. For the IOC, part of the appeal of the Alps was the pledge to largely reuse existing facilities, in keeping with the goal of less expensive, more sustainable Games. French organizers have pledged to deliver the Olympics on an operating budget of $2.1 billion.

Macron, who yesterday said he won’t pick a new prime minister until after the summer Games are over in mid-August, pledged his support for the 2030 event. 

“I want to confirm my full commitment and 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 as a priority of the new government,” he told the delegates on Wednesday. 

France has been left with a caretaker government after the snap legislative election called by Macron in June left no party close to a majority in the National Assembly.

It would mark the fourth time for France as the host of the winter Olympics, after Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968) and Albertville (1992). Organizers say some of the Albertville facilities will be reused in 2030. 

Courchevel, Meribel and Val d’Isere are expected to host the blue-ribbon skiing events in 2030, with La Clusaz slated to hold the Nordic skiing competitions. 

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(Updates with details on Salt Lake City throughout.)

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