Martin Fourcade, biathlon legend, described as “magical” the choice on Wednesday of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to accept the candidacy of the French Alps with a view to organizing the Winter Olympics in 2030, which he sees as “ the Games of tomorrow”. “I am very happy to have helped convince the IOC to trust us. It’s a huge honor,” declared the five-time Olympic champion and French member of the IOC, on the sidelines of the Etoiles du sport in Tignes.
“The Olympics at home are magical. I would have loved to have been able to experience that as an athlete. I fought in Durban in 2011 for the Annecy 2018 Games. Unfortunately, we did not have this success and that is why today’s announcement is all the more appreciable. » “It is an honor for all French athletes and an incredible opportunity,” added Fourcade, who believes that France will be able to offer the world the “Games of tomorrow”.
“The Olympic Games are a global event which, in the world we live in, is sometimes questioned. I had the chance to experience incredible Games in Sochi in 2014 but they were Games which today would not at all meet both ecological and social expectations. Being able to help shape a model that I deeply believe in is an immense source of pride. »
Transferring skills from Paris 2024 to the Alps 2030
While the name of the biathlete is often mentioned to become the leader of the project, he said he had “not carried out this reflection at all today”. But he “intends to continue” to be involved in the candidacy, the proximity of which he praises to that of the Paris Summer Games next year. “It’s a real continuity in the organizational know-how, in the skills that we can transfer from Paris 2024 to the Alps 2030 and an opportunity to prolong the enthusiasm around sport. »
If the IOC still has to confirm your choice next year, the prospect of seeing the French Alps organize the 2030 Winter Games is “just incredible”, commented Arthur Bauchet, three-time Paralympic champion in alpine skiing in Beijing in 2022. “The Paralympic Games are always a career goal but here, I think I have definitely found a life goal. It feels weird to say this sentence at 23 years old. But we dreamed so much about Paris 2024, we were so happy to see the Games back at home. I never thought I would experience them myself. So this is just crazy. The objective now is to work hard until 2030,” he said.