French Alps to host 2030 Olympic Winter Games under certain conditions

By Can Erozden

The French Alps were named the 2030 Olympic Winter Games hosts by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday under the condition that France delivers financial guarantees.

"The International Olympic Committee has the honor to announce that the 26th Winter Olympic Games 2030 will be attributed to the French Alps," Thomas Bach, the IOC chief, said in an Olympic committee session after the vote ended.

French President Emmanuel Macron attended the IOC's 142nd session to be alongside his country's delegation, and seemed very happy once the French Alps were named the 2030 hosts.

"I confirm the full commitment of the French nation, and assure you that I will ask the next Prime Minister to include not only this guarantee but also an Olympic Law in the priorities of the new government. 7 years ago we made the same commitment, and we delivered. We will do the same," Macron said.

France will host the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris as the opening ceremony will be held on Friday across the River Seine.

Macron on Tuesday announced that he would not nominate a new prime minister until the end of the Paris Games in mid-August.

The French president last week accepted outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s resignation following the snap parliamentary election results, after initially rejecting it on July 8.

Attal will continue dealing with the government’s affairs until a new government is formed.

In his brief speech, Macron thanked the IOC for their trust and choice.

France will host the Winter Games for the fourth time in history, and the first since Albertville 1992. Chamonix (1924) and Grenoble (1968) were the previous French cities to have hosted the Winter Games.

The next Winter Games will be Milano Cortina 2026. Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo will be the hosts.