The days are numbered. The leaders of the French Alps 2030 have confirmed the launch of the Organizing Committee for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games on February 18 at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon. A press conference will be held there from 15:45. With or without its president? After long weeks of waiting, the file is finally moving forward. The trend now seems to be towards an imminent outcome, favorable to Edgar Grospiron (photo above).
Unite, convince, embark
The Olympic moguls champion at the 1992 Albertville Games, who was hesitant to take the plunge, came out of the woodwork on Monday making it clear that he was determined to win the bet. He could have announced his candidacy on his social networks since he has 11.000 followers on Facebook and 8.000 on Instagram. Channels that he has used in recent days to promote his new book. However, he preferred to partner with a press relations agency, proof of his desire to implement a specific strategy to position himself as the providential man. Edgar Grospiron sent his letter of intent and motivation to the CNOSF after eight days of reflection. The time needed “to immerse myself in the project and answer a lot of questions” about his speaking activity and his family life, he explains. "This ambitious and collective project needs a leader who knows how to motivate and unite. I have already been confronted with this situation when I took over the management of the Annecy 2018 bid, he recalls. The project was at a standstill and no one wanted to get on board. I had to unite, convince, and bring on board as many skills as possible to get the project back on track." The implication is clear: Edgar Grospiron knows the role of firefighter on duty, and he is not afraid to get his hands dirty.
The man from Haute-Savoie, whose words have obviously all been chosen with care, also makes it clear that his profile is unifying and that he already benefits from a certain amount of support. "For eight days, the best profiles have been encouraging me and letting me know that they will be available to help if I take the leadership of the project", he emphasizes, determined to "deliver flawless Games", which are " a great sporting and popular celebration " but also “a showcase of the know-how, products and transformation capacity of our territories”. Edgar Grospiron knows where he wants to go since he has already announced that he will devote his first three months to the administrative implementation of the OCOG, to the confirmation of the master plan of the sites, as well as to the commercial and marketing strategy in order to engage the partners. The former athlete has skillfully prepared his case, and his arguments seem to have hit the mark.
A decision this Thursday?
According to Nice Matin, Grospiron would emerge as the favorite, with his diverse experiences and his media aura. Five other candidates are in the race, including Marie Martinod and Vincent Jay, who have been mentioned for several months already. Nathalie Péchalat has also submitted her candidacy, and she may have ambitions given her CV. After a brilliant career, the skater chaired the French Ice Sports Federation (FFSG) and led Club France with a masterly hand during the Paris 2024 Games. That of the journalist Gérard Holtz seems more fanciful, although his love of sport is beyond doubt. Last candidate: Jean-Luc Crétier, Olympic downhill champion in Nagano in 1998.
Representatives from the Ministry of Sports, the Interministerial Delegation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions, the CNOSF and the CPSF, are scheduled to meet this Thursday. "With the aim of being conclusive as to the identity of the president", said a source close to the negotiations consulted by AFP. The suspense could therefore end in the next few hours. Knowing that uncertainties will persist despite everything: given the deadlines, the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life, which must ensure the absence of conflicts of interest, will certainly not be able to examine the file of the president of OCOG until he has been designated.
