French Alps 2030 Organizers Gain Valuable Insights from Milano Cortina 2026
As the Winter Olympics in the French Alps draw closer, organizers are actively leveraging the experience of the current host city, Milano Cortina 2026. A delegation of approximately 40 representatives from French Alps 2030 are currently observing the Games firsthand, utilizing the opportunity to refine their own preparations for welcoming the world in four years’ time.
This observation program, facilitated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is proving invaluable for the French team. The approach mirrors a broader shift within the IOC towards a more regional model for hosting the Winter Olympics, a strategy first implemented with Milano Cortina 2026. This contrasts with the traditional single-city host model, aiming for greater efficiency and a wider distribution of the Games’ impact.
Edgar Grospiron, President of French Alps 2030, emphasized the irreplaceable value of observing the Games in a live environment. Observing the Games in real conditions is irreplaceable. You see what works, you identify areas requiring particular attention, you grasp the importance of detail and the absolute necessity of anticipation,
Grospiron stated. The lessons learned are both strategic and highly operational: transport, athlete flows, broadcasting, logistics, security and spectator experience. For French Alps 2030, What we have is a tremendous accelerator.
The French Alps are planning to utilize a similar multi-venue approach to Milano Cortina, spreading competitions across the southwest region of France. This strategy aims to maximize the use of existing infrastructure, including venues originally built for the Albertville Winter Olympics. The Games will be divided into four zones: Nice, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, and Briancon, each hosting a specific set of events.
The Nice zone will be responsible for the indoor ice events, including hockey, figure skating, short track, speed skating, and curling. Allianz Riviera, which hosted Olympic soccer matches during the Summer Games, will be transformed to accommodate two ice rinks. The Savoie zone, considered the heart of the Alps, will host the traditional alpine skiing events, as well as ski jumping, bobsled, luge, and skeleton. Further north, the Haute-Savoie zone will focus on cross-country skiing and biathlon. Finally, the Briancon zone, located in the southern Alps, will be the venue for freestyle skiing and snowboarding.
Grospiron highlighted the complexity of organizing an event of this scale, while also underscoring the collaborative nature of the undertaking. It reminds us that the Games are an operation of immense complexity, but also a collective endeavour,
he said. Congratulations to the Milano Cortina 2026 teams. It is now up to us to turn these learnings into a success for 2030.
France has a rich Olympic history, having hosted the Summer Games on six occasions, including the recent Paris 2024 edition, and the Winter Games three times previously. The 2030 Games will mark the seventh time France has hosted the Olympics and the fourth time it has hosted the Winter Olympics. The shift towards a regional hosting model, as seen in both Milano Cortina 2026 and planned for the French Alps, represents a significant evolution in how the IOC approaches the Games, prioritizing sustainability and broader regional impact.
The IOC’s Future Host Commission nominated the French Alps as its preferred candidate on , and the bid was officially approved during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris on . This approval solidified France’s position as the host of the XXVI Olympic Winter Games, branded as French Alps 2030. The Games are scheduled to run from to , followed by the Winter Paralympics from to .
The ongoing observation program in Milano Cortina 2026 is a critical component of the French Alps 2030 team’s preparation, allowing them to proactively address potential challenges and optimize their operational plans. The lessons learned from the current Games will undoubtedly play a key role in ensuring a successful and memorable Winter Olympics in 2030.
