French Alps and Mediterranean coast surprise frontrunners to host 2030 Winter Olympic Games

The French Alps, and the Mediterranean city of Nice, have become the unexpected frontrunners to host the 2030 Winter Olympics. 

The International Olympic Committee executive board gave the nod to France at a meeting in Paris on Wednesday, marking it as the preferred host as the IOC enters exclusive talks with French organisers. 

A French bid uniting the snowy Alps region and the Riviera resort Nice came together only in the past few months to compete with Sweden and Switzerland for the IOC’s support.

The IOC also has now pointed the Swiss bid toward the 2038 Olympics with “privileged dialogue” status, while Salt Lake City will likely host the games for a second time in 2034.

France’s partial win Wednesday is a victory for its national Olympic committee leader David Lappartient, the president of cycling’s governing body.

Lappartient worked to build close ties with IOC president Thomas Bach even before last year when he became one of the about 100 IOC members.

It would be the fourth time France has hosted a Winter Olympics, after Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968 and Albertville in 1992.

The 2030 Winter Games is barely six years away, already making it the latest Olympic hosting decision taken in recent decades. A decision next July would be just over 5½ years before the scheduled opening ceremony.

So how would it work? 

It’s understood that this would be a 'split' Olympics, with different locations much like Sochi, Beijing and Vancouver in recent years. 

Nice would host the indoor sports of figure skating, hockey, short-track speed skating and curling, while Alpine events would take place in the French Alps: where Grenoble, Albertville and Chamonix have already hosted Winter Olympics previously.

CNOSF president David Lappartient