The Organizing Committee for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games is moving forward. The appointment of Cyril Linette as general manager mid-April brought a long saga to a close and gave way to action. Exactly what Edgar Grospiron was waiting for to be able to start laying the foundations for the French Alps 2030. The OCOG president spoke to Francs Jeux on his first months in this new role and on the major projects that occupy his thoughts.
It will soon be three months since you became the OCOG president. Is this the bumpy field you were expecting?
Yes, with bumps that are sometimes bigger than I imagined! We are in a hyper-stimulating environment: it's sports, politics, economics, the environment, the media... Being at the crossroads of all these issues means that there are a lot of expectations, which we have to try to anticipate. Today, we are more in reaction, hence the field of bumps, because the OCOG was not yet created when I arrived. We had to give it a legal existence, raise the first funds, open bank accounts... We really started from the bottom up. That's what makes the project extremely interesting, we can build everything, do everything by hand. I was able to choose the CEO I wanted to work with. I looked for a very business-oriented profile, capable of launching an organization that will ultimately have between 1.800 and 2.200 people. It's interesting to be able to create the project, starting almost from scratch.
It took two months for your CEO to be appointed, even though it was one of your priorities. Weren't you frustrated?
Let's just say there are times when you have to be patient. These are the foundations I'm laying here, so I can't give up, and things have to be done properly. France and the EU, especially for organizations subject to public procurement like ours, require procedures, particularly aimed at transparency, which sometimes penalize responsiveness. We could and would like to move faster, but we can't due to procedural concerns. We're making do; it won't prevent us from achieving our goal.
Cyril and I share a business leader's mindset: seeking to create value from our strengths, streamlining our organization, optimizing things, without harming the Olympic Games. We need to regain the prestige of the Olympic Games and do something that has character. It's a really interesting equation to solve. We know the venue layout, we roughly know the budget, then it's with whom and how we do it. It's really interesting because I start with people I choose and we move forward like that.
Where are you with building your teams?
The idea is to quickly structure a core team around Cyril, with the basic functions of any self-respecting organization: HR, without whom we can't recruit, administrative, legal, and financial functions, and then a Games Delivery Director. We identified him a long time ago; he's an essential resource who must join us quickly. We also need to develop an identity, a brand, a logo. This entire communication aspect will be very important. All of this involves recruitment, either internally or through external agencies. There are processes; we're in the thick of it.
Have you set a schedule?
I'm not commenting on timelines; we don't control them. It's different every time depending on the recruitment process, everyone's availability, etc. But we're all in a hurry! We want to move quickly. What's great is that a lot of people are applying; there's a lot of enthusiasm around the project. We have to study the profiles, meet with the candidates, and that takes time.
Will Martin Fourcade have a role within this OCOG ?
I hope so, I hope so. For him, it's not on the agenda; he wants to be consistent with his decision not to take the presidency. He's focusing on his activities and seeing how things will progress.
Are you still hoping to convince him?
Yes, for me, he's a must! I'd like him to find a place, a mission, something that makes sense to him, that makes him want to bring his knowledge, his science, his touch to these Games, in one way or another. Everything is open.
You have just over a month left to validate the site map. Do you have all the information you need to make a decision now?
No. Besides, the timing of a little over a month is very, very optimistic. Since I'm not required to submit a report in June, we'll do things properly and take the time we need. I don't have all the information yet; a lot of work is being done by Solideo, which has launched studies to specify a lot of necessary investments. We need these studies before we can enter into a decision-making process. There isn't much choice; we have a topic on alpine skiing and the speed oval, that's all. So we have enough to move forward with, we have work to do.
"The issue isn't knowing when we'll release the venue map, but rather having a great Olympic Games and making informed decisions. We're not particularly urgent."
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Is there no longer any question of the map being drawn up at the end of June, as the Minister of Sports had announced?
No, it would also clash with the election of the new CNOSF president and the transfer of power between Thomas Bach and Kirsty Coventry. These are already high points in the sports movement; perhaps there's no need to add to them.
So we should wait for the map in July?
I think the studies will be completed in the summer. It's best not to give a timeline because it's too uncertain. The issue isn't knowing when we'll release the site map, but rather to have a great Olympic Games and make informed decisions. I'd rather we take a little time now, so we can move faster later. We're not particularly urgent, there's no rush. We don't have a construction schedule that would force us to make a decision before the summer.
Have you made any progress in your thinking regarding the location of the speed skating events, between the Netherlands and Italy?
I went there to form an opinion, to talk with the officials there, to see their level of interest in hosting these events. Both options are feasible. I was able to see that in both Turin and Heerenveen, the interest is very strong. Now we are entering into more prosaic discussions, namely who would take charge of what, what would be the potential revenues linked to each site… We have many criteria: sporting, environmental, logistical, financial, political. I want the sporting criterion to be paramount, that we put the athletes in optimal performance conditions, so that they say to themselves: "I feel lucky to have participated in these Olympic Games."
What about additional sports? Have the last few weeks allowed you, not necessarily to make decisions, but perhaps to rule out certain options?
No, I'm not ruling out options, quite the opposite. I'm studying them all based on the prerequisites set by the regional presidents, and also on my vision for these Games. We're thinking about it. We're making good progress on some issues. I have my plan in mind, but it's not enough to make it happen. I'm moving forward with the options; we've already met with almost all the snow federations. Quite a few sports have been mentioned; for the moment, nothing has been ruled out.
