More than four months have passed since the IOC session, meeting in Paris, awarded the 2030 Winter Games to the French Alps. But the organizing committee for the Olympic and Paralympic event has still not been formed. Above all, the name of its future president, who will be called upon to embody the project of the two French regions, remains shrouded in mystery.
To believe Ski Chrono, the wait should not last any longer. White smoke should even rise into the sky before the end of the week. Not over the Alps, but from the heart of Paris, where the final decision must be made.
One name is mentioned as having regained a head start: Martin Fourcade (photo above). Early favourite, then announced as hesitant, he could be made official in the coming days as head of the organising committee.
Proof of the imminence of a decision, and of the former multiple Olympic champion biathlete's chances of winning the prize: Martin Fourcade will be received on Wednesday, November 27 at Matignon by Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The two men crossed paths at the Paris 2024 Games, but they still don't know each other very well.
Another indication that the name of the head of the organizing committee will be announced very soon: a new working meeting on the French Alps dossier is planned for the following day, late Thursday morning, still at Matignon. Around Michel Barnier, the main actors of the project, public and private, including the Minister of Sports, Gil Avérous, and the president of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF), David Lappartient, supporter of Martin Fourcade.
A meeting between Martin Fourcade and Michel Barnier on Wednesday, a meeting in the French Alps the next day: the timing is perfect.
Things are done ? Possibly. After hesitating for a long time, Martin Fourcade declared himself a candidate for the presidency of the organizing committee last month in an interview with l'Equipe. A member of the IOC as part of the Athletes' Commission since the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, he can count on the support of Lausanne. For the Olympic body, his presence at the head of the project would certainly be good news.
But his profile is not necessarily unanimous in the two host regions. The more mountainous of the two, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (AURA), is instead pushing the candidacy of another former Olympic gold medalist biathlete, Vincent Jay. The Savoyard is already in the place, since he holds the position of operational director of the French Alps 2030 for the AURA region. Ski Chrono reports that Vincent Jay spoke with Michel Barnier and was received by his advisor in charge of the case, Michel Cadot.
Renaud Muselier, the president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region, would like to see the governance of the organizing committee return to a woman. At the top of the list, Marie Martinod, the former freestyle skier, double Olympic silver medalist. And the elected representative from Marseille has been repeating it since the Winter Games were awarded to the French Alps: " Decisions will not be made in Paris"
One thing is certain: the announcement of the future boss of the 2030 Winter Games will not be postponed forever. And Martin Fourcade is holding the rope.
