Organisers of the 2030 French Alps Olympics confirmed on Wednesday that their chief executive officer, Cyril Linette, has stepped down following weeks of internal turmoil. The departure, formally acknowledged during an executive board meeting last weekend, comes amid a public feud with Edgar Grospiron, the former Olympic champion freestyle skier who heads the organising committee. Officials said the decision reflected a collective desire to inject ‘new momentum through renewed governance’ as the project enters a critical phase.
Tensions within the organisation have escalated in recent months, compounded by a series of high-profile resignations. Chief operating officer Anne Murac, communications director Arthur Richer and Bertrand Méheut, who led the remuneration committee, all left the team, further destabilising the project. Linette’s conflict with Grospiron marked the latest episode in what organisers describe as ‘a saga of turbulences’ that has challenged the management of the 2030 Winter Games.
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Despite the upheaval, organisers emphasised their commitment to the success of the French Alps Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. “The stakeholders reaffirm their commitment to the success of the 2030 French Alps Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The collective priority remains the continuation of the work already underway in service of the project,” a statement read.
The French Alps Games face one of the tightest timelines of any modern Olympics, with a format that splits events between snow sports in the mountains and ice sports in the snow-free resort city of Nice on the French Riviera. Speed skating events are likely to be hosted abroad to avoid the high cost of constructing a new venue, with Italy’s Oval Lingotto in Turin and the Thialf Arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands, among the leading candidates. A definitive map of the sites has yet to be finalised and is expected by the end of June.
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