2030 Olympics: Organizing Committee Says Its "Preference" for Val d'Isère for Certain Alpine Skiing Events

" We are working on the Val d'Isère slope subject to technical and financial feasibility ," organizing committee president Edgar Grospiron told AFP, adding that no final decision had been made.

" Discussions are underway with the community to make this integration possible while maintaining the project's budgetary balance, through clear commitments ," states a press release from the Cojo.

" It's hard to imagine organizing the Olympic Games in France without Val d'Isère ," argues Edgar Grospiron.

The return of Val d'Isère to the detriment of Méribel has been stirring up the Tarentaise Valley and the Olympic ecosystem for several months.

Initially on the map of venues, Val d'Isère disappeared and then reappeared in the summer of 2024 when the IOC awarded the Olympic Games to France. Former Olympic champion and French skiing icon Jean-Claude Killy, also former president of the 1992 Albertville Olympics, said he was "outraged" at the end of 2023 at the idea that Val d'Isère would not be on the map.

The grouping of Alpine skiing events at the two venues of Courchevel and Val d'Isère means the eviction of Méribel, which was offered the opportunity to "group" Paralympic events there .

Problem: Last week, Thierry Monin, the mayor of Méribel, threatened to withdraw from the Games if the Cojo deprived him of the Olympic alpine skiing events. He had already threatened to withdraw in early July if the resort were to host only the Paralympic Games.

" We need to look at alternative options ," Edgar Grospiron told AFP.

The Cojo's budget should be around two billion euros.

The project extends from Nice to Le Grand-Bornand, a distance of nearly 500 km. After being announced for the end of June, the site map is not expected to be officially announced until October. The choice of the location for the speed skating ring, between Italy and the Netherlands, has not yet been made.

The venues for the various ice events in Nice (skating, hockey, etc.) have not yet been completely finalized, several sources told AFP.