Important year for Lausanne. In June, the Swiss city will celebrate thirty years since its designation as Olympic capital. The status was very officially awarded to it on June 23, 1994 by the IOC, then chaired by the Spaniard Juan Antonio Samaranch.
Thirty years, then. Well into the age of reason, but not yet the age to look back to the past. Sébastien Griesmar, director of the Lausanne Capitale Olympique Foundation, where he succeeded Virginie Faivre, explained this to FrancsJeux on the occasion of SportAccord: the capital of the canton of Vaud wants to further expand its presence in the Olympic movement. And resist new competition.
FrancsJeux : Why did you create a Lausanne Olympic Capital Foundation?
Sébastien Griesmar: Historically, the city of Lausanne and the canton of Vaud had people dedicated to international sport. Everyone worked on their own. After the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, it was decided to group the teams into a single entity: the Lausanne Capital Olympic Foundation. The city and the canton are now associated in a single window for their relations with international bodies.
Essentially, it is the IOC and the international federations?
Not only. We have built over time an ecosystem of international sport: the IOC and the federations, of course, but also the International Testing Agency (ITA), the CAS, the WADA… With the Foundation, our objective is to consolidate this ecosystem, and even strengthen it by welcoming new instances.
However, you have lost an important international federation, World Aquatics, leaving for Budapest…
That's right, World Aquatics has announced its departure, even though it hasn't left yet. And its Foundation will remain in Lausanne. But it's the only one to leave us. Today we have to face new competition: Budapest, Asia, the Gulf countries… The objective of our Foundation is to highlight the assets of Lausanne. Together, we remain very attractive.
Have you attracted new bodies?
The International School Sports Federation (ISF) moved to Lausanne in January. Its arrival is important, it sends a beautiful message, because it is a very dynamic body associated with youth.
Do you have any others in your sights?
We are missing some: World Athletics, World Rugby, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), World Sailing… We would like to welcome at least one, if not several, from this list.
Are the tax advantages offered to international sports bodies still as attractive?
Switzerland remains a country of great political stability. The framework conditions offered to international federations will not change. But they are not everything. We also offer them a whole range of services: seminars eight times a year, meetings, access to the academic network of the city and canton. A skills center is being created with the polytechnic school.
Since the pandemic, are the benefits of the status of Olympic capital still as real?
Activity has picked up significantly again over the past year. In particular, we are seeing a return to face-to-face meetings of international federations. The economic impact remains very significant for the city and for the canton, and there is nothing to suggest that it will not continue to increase. It is measured directly by travel and hotel nights, but not only that. It is also very important in terms of jobs.
Does Lausanne also aim to host major sporting events?
Since the 2020 Winter YOG, we have held an Olympic skateboarding qualification competition. We have obtained the hosting of the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in 2025, and the European Figure Skating Championships in 2027. We are also hosting ski mountaineering events, a new discipline in the program Olympic. Lausanne and the canton of Vaud also remain very active for sports governance meetings, such as the annual Forum of International Federations or the WADA symposium.
Is Lausanne concerned by Switzerland's bid for the 2038 Winter Games, selected by the IOC for the privileged dialogue phase?
It was included in the bid for the 2030 Winter Games, where Lausanne was to host figure skating and an ice rink for ice hockey. For 2038, it should normally remain in the system.
