— Published February 24, 2026

The French Alps 2030 take up the torch

French Alps 2030Milan-Cortina 2026 Focus

The handover of the Olympic flag is always a highlight of the Games' closing ceremony. On Sunday, in the Verona arena, there were no Tom Cruises or Hollywood stunts, but rather a sober atmosphere and a palpable enthusiasm, clearly visible on the faces of the regional presidents, Fabrice Pannecoucke and Renaud Muselier. The fervor was still evident on Monday evening at the Albertville Olympic Park for the return of the delegation and the Olympic flag. Now, it's time for work and reflection, undoubtedly informed by the experience of Milan-Cortina 2026.

The delicate management of distances

The organizing committee for the French Alps 2030 Games was able to participate in the IOC observer program during the two-week stay in Italy. This was a golden opportunity to see the reality on the ground from different perspectives, to learn, and to refine the vision for the next Winter Games. Organizing an event of this scale is no easy feat, even less so when it spans such a vast territory. The Milan-Cortina 2026 edition, straddling Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Veneto, was therefore a significant undertaking. a laboratory "for Edgar Grospiron, who devoted 80% of his time to strategic topics, to obtain information, progress or decisions "from the IOC, IFs and NOCs, but also to exchange with elected officials and potential partners.

« The interesting issue is managing distances: Nice is a seven-hour drive from Le Grand-Bornand, as is the case between Cortina, Bormio, and Milan. We'll be looking at how the Olympic crowds will move around, and how the Milan Organizing Committee manages its interactions with Rome and the government. " he explained to Ouest-FranceDrawing on these Italian Games will also be useful for « to better understand the success of their ticketing system, which had a difficult start but is now a real success ", Grospiron explained in January.

"Delivering Games that generate emotions and sensations"

Accompanied by around forty people, the president of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee toured the competition venues. In Predazzo, for example, he scrutinized " the stands, the catering areas, the ski room dedicated to equipment preparation, as well as the commentators' booths A hands-on immersion into the operational organization of the Games. We learned a lot about the athletes' experience, the organization of the village, and the opening ceremony. » Renaud Muselier confirms this to us., president of the PACA region.

Monday evening's celebration for the athletes brought together the French public – more than 6.000 people in attendance – and provided a festive kickoff to these Olympic Games. We know that time is running out, but we know that we can deliver Games that live up to our ambitions and vision.Grospiron was optimistic on Sunday in Milan. We have an extremely productive collaboration with the IOC, as well as with the International Federations and the National Olympic Committees. In France, we are fortunate to benefit from a great deal of expertise from the Paris Games. We are also fortunate to have venues that know what they're doing. This combination allows us to focus on the goal of delivering spectacular Games that generate emotions and sensations. "The observation program is not yet complete, as the COJOP still has..." learning lessons from the Paralympic Games "in March."