2023-11-04 18:15:44
“Russian roulette” or “incredible opportunity”. The announced candidacy of the French Alps for the 2030 Winter Olympics, jointly supported by the Auvergne-RhĂ´ne-Alpes (Aura) and Provence-Alpes-CĂ´te-d’Azur (Paca) regions, is divisive. The candidacy file should be submitted this Tuesday, November 7, 2023 in Lausanne, at the Swiss headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The outlines of the project will be revealed at the same time by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).
Environmental issues will be at the center of this issue. Laurent Wauquiez and Renaud Muselier, the presidents of the two regions concerned, promise “sober games” and above all an “incredible opportunity” for their territories.
« It’s still a bit like Russian roulette. » for the snow, dares, doubtfully, Catherine Dufour, a resident of Chamonix born in a family closely linked to the Winter Games since her grandfather, her brother and her cousin took part in them in turn. “ We had the snowiest village in France at the bottom of the Chamonix valley. But today the snow is poor, one day it will stop,” fears this 61-year-old retiree, worried regarding the possible “financial mismanagement” and “concretion” linked to the construction of infrastructure.
Reuse existing sites
The mayor of Chamonix (Haute-Savoie), Eric Fournier, is categorical: “ If we stick to the old-fashioned model, there is definitely no room “. However, for him the Games are possible if “ we work with existing sites, which will have a real future and save resources.”Laurent Wauquiez rightly promised to “rely on existing infrastructure” for “the first sustainable Olympics”.
Because the region has a rich Olympic history: the very first Winter Games were hosted by Chamonix, almost 100 years ago, then by Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992. La Plagne, a resort perched 1,400m above sea level. altitude hopes to reuse its bobsleigh track, the most expensive equipment at the Albertville Games. “ This is the example to follow,” explains Mayor Jean-Luc Boch, very enthusiastic regarding the Alps’ candidacy. “ France has chosen tourism, he explains. If we stop all economic activity, will that change global warming?.
A vision shared by Benjamin Sauze, company manager from Lyon on vacation in Chamonix: “ Obviously, it consumes energy but we still have to continue to organize sporting events in the region.,” he believes. The issue is crucial in the Alps, in the midst of questions regarding the future of their economic model. According to Domaines Skiables de France, 120,000 jobs depend on winter sports, a first summit “for a sustainable mountain” was organized this week in Chamonix to think regarding adaptation to climate change.
Renaud Muselier, president of the Paca region, is confident: “ according to studies we will have snow until at least 2050 “, he recently said in the media. There ” snow will be less and less available,” corrects Thierry Lebel, hydroclimatologist. Last December, the Grand-Bornand resort (Haute-Savoie), at an altitude of 1,300 meters, had to transport 12,000 cubic meters of snow from storage by truck to be able to host a stage of the Biathlon World Cup. .
The danger of artificial snow
Without the use of artificial snow, 53% of European resorts would face a “very high” risk of lack of snow if the rise in global temperatures was 2 degrees centigrade, according to a study published in August in the journal Nature Climate Change. However, artificial snow is a “maladaptation” for Thierry Lebel because “ to cope with the consequences of climate change, we emit an even additional quantity of greenhouse gases,” he explains.
The 2030 Olympic Games project, “is the tip of the iceberg in relation to all the problems we are currently encountering” linked to “all tourism” and “all alpine skiing”, believes Vincent Neirinck, of the association “Mountain Wilderness8. And, for him, “ it contributes to a headlong rush which is not acceptable.” He adds : ” Whatever we are promised at each edition, the Games have never proven their safety,” insists the activist. He thus points to the all-artificial snow of the Beijing Games (China) in 2022 which, according to him, contributed “ to trivialize the snow snake in the middle of the desert ».
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will meet on November 21 to decide whether France’s candidacy is accepted. Two other countries have also announced their intention to submit a file: Sweden and Switzerland. The IOC began discussions with the candidates in early 2024 before designating the host territory in the summer of 2024. (With Agence France-Presse)
© SportBusiness.Club November 2023
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