2024-10-16 19:43:00
From May 1, 2025, Frédéric Favre will lead the Switzerland 2038 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Association as General Director, illustrating the rise in power of the body responsible for carrying out the Swiss project, while Switzerland is now engaged in a phase of privileged dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with a view to the 2038 Olympic Games.
LSwitzerland’s project for the organization of the 2038 Winter Games is continuing its development and structuring at a good pace.
While the said project has received in recent months institutional support from the Swiss Sports Movement et more recently from the Federal Councilwithout also taking into account the support in principle of the Cantons, the Switzerland 2038 Association is now preparing to welcome a Director General, knowing that the operational management of the body is currently ensured by a co-presidency embodied by Ruth Wipfli Steinegger, Vice-President of Swiss Olympic, and Urs Lehmann, President of Swiss Ski.
As specified by Swiss Olympic in a press release published this Wednesday, October 16, 2024, Frédéric Favre will soon leave his position as State Councilor of the Canton of Valais – a territory which notably houses the city of Sion which was a candidate for the 2026 Olympic Games – to join Switzerland 2038.
For the person who currently heads the Department of Security, Institutions and Sport, entering the adventure of the Games will constitute a major new challenge from May 1, 2025.
As he explained:
I am delighted to commit full-time from May 1 to the largest sporting project in our country.
Thanks to its values, Switzerland can contribute a lot to the Olympic Movement and offer future generations the opportunity to experience positive and unifying emotions..
Whatever the case, Frédéric Favre is not unknown in the Swiss sporting sphere.
In addition to his past experience as a member of the national karate team, crowned with five Swiss Champion titles, then as an ice hockey referee for fifteen years, he was especially required to work on several major events, such as the home of the Crans-Montana 2027 Alpine Ski World Championships.
Concerning the Games, Frédéric Favre was mobilized at the forefront of Switzerland’s last winter candidacy as Vice-President of Sion 2026before supporting the renewed ambitions for the Games in the 2030s.
With this announced arrival, the Switzerland 2038 Association clearly demonstrates mastery of its calendar and a desire to climb the ranks one by one with pragmatism to build the conditions for the success of the Olympic and Paralympic project.
Thanks to the new philosophy adopted by the IOC regarding the designation of Future Hosts of the Games, Switzerland benefits from an ideal window of opportunity, being engaged in an unprecedented phase of privileged dialogue with the Olympic institution.
In fact, until the end of 2027, said phase must allow the project stakeholders to obtain all the necessary guarantees from the public authorities and also to gather popular support and the essential support of the private sector to finance the hoped-for holding of the Games, without risking international competition.
One of the major challenges for Frédéric Favre – holder of a Doctorate in business management and a Master in organizational management and human resources development – will be precisely to secure the participation of public authorities, while developing the partnership opportunities and synergies.
As Ruth Wipfli Steinegger mentioned in this regard:
For the Switzerland 2038 project, it is decisive to be able to count on a recognized personality who, in addition to a global understanding of sport and major events, has a solid political network at federal and cantonal level..
In the event that the current reflection results in the realization of the Olympic and Paralympic ambition, Switzerland would be assured of obtaining the organization of the 2038 Olympic Games. A real consecration after many unsuccessful attempts.
If, however, Switzerland does not manage to fulfill all the conditions linked to this phase of work, the IOC will be free to be able to in fine request a new partner by confirming the reopening of applications for the 2038 deadline and by leading in fact discussions with possible suitors.
This could in particular put the projects of Sweden or Japanor even Canada.
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