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French Alpine regions ponder bid for 2030 Winter Olympics

The two administrative regions of the French Alps stretching down to the Riviera have announced plans to present a French bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

Published: 19 July 2023 08:44 CEST

French Alpine regions ponder bid for 2030 Winter Olympics

France is considering a bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP)

Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, along with the Comité national olympique et sportif français (CNOSF), “have come together to consider” this candidacy, they said in a press release.

The aim is to arrive at a collective decision by mid-September.

CNOSF president David Lappartient welcomed, “a great opportunity to continue the momentum of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games”.

“Together, we must imagine the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of the future in the context of global warming,” he continued.

“Games that respect balance, Games that promote transitions in the mountain world, economical Games and popular Games. It is this challenge that we are
ready to take up.”

Sweden are interested in hosting the 2030 Games after losing out to Milan-Cortina for 2026, with 2002 hosts Salt Lake City also in the running.

France have hosted the Winter Olympics three times — Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992.

Paris organised the Summer Olympics in 1900 and 1924, and will host next year’s Games.

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Macron condemns fan violence ahead of French football final

The clashes erupted at a toll gate between fans of Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) headed to the evening’s match in the northern city of Lille, which Macron attended.

The violence struck 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Lille, where the final was being played because Paris’s Stade de France is being readied for this summer’s Olympics.

One bus was set on fire and two others damaged, local Nord department authorities said in a statement overnight, adding that 30 supporters and eight police officers were injured. Fourteen people required “medical attention”.

The clashes involved about 100 Lyon supporters and 200 PSG fans, a police source said.

Police prefect Bertrand Gaume said one group of supporters got out of their bus and attacked another carrying rival fans, who threw smoke bombs.

“There were very violent brawls” before police intervened, Gaume said, adding that one bus was left burnt out.

Mingling with the public in nearby Tourcoing ahead of the game, Macron said he “condemns all violence with the greatest firmness”, adding: “I hope that things will go as normally as possible this evening.”

Heavy security

Traffic on the major north-south A1 highway was interrupted in both directions.

The supporters’ group Paris Ultras Collective said in a statement that fans of the two clubs had been supposed to take different routes to the match, but Lyon fans attacked a bus carrying PSG supporters.

Police did not indicate which group of fans launched the attack.

Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) said in a statement it “condemns this violence”.

The French Football Federation called the violence “unacceptable”.

After the match in Lille, which PSG won 2-1, supporters left the stadium calmly, amid a heavy police presence.

Earlier, fans of the rival teams had mingled all day without incident ahead of the 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) start time.

The regional police authority said 1,000 officers were on duty in the town and a further 1,000 in the stadium.

The local authorities had also put in place a number of measures for the high-risk match.

Fans were forbidden to move “outside the areas reserved for them” near the stadium until 04:00 am Sunday, and authorities banned the public consumption of alcohol “in a glass or metal container” until the same time.

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