Salt Lake City still on track for 2034 Olympics vote. French elections delay plans for 2030 edition

Associated Press

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — While Salt Lake City is cruising toward being named nan 2034 Winter Olympics big adjacent month, nan French parliamentary elections abruptly called by President Emmanuel Macron person created a bump successful nan roadworthy for nan 2030 version that nan French Alps bid is expected to win.

Voting to corroborate some expected Winter Games hosts is still nan scheme connected July 24 successful Paris, connected nan eve of nan adjacent Summer Games, nan International Olympic Committee said Wednesday.

However, Macron’s astonishment announcement Sunday of 2 rounds of nationalist elections connected June 30 and July 7 — and a imaginable alteration of government, if not nan presidency — is delaying signing disconnected paperwork that nan IOC demands. Macron acted aft far-right opponents made gains successful European parliamentary elections.

The IOC’s long-scheduled executive committee gathering that opened Wednesday aimed to fastener down putting guardant some nan 2030 and 2034 candidates for rubber-stamping votes successful Paris.

Instead, financial and organizational guarantees sought from nationalist and location levels of authorities will now person conscionable complete 2 weeks to beryllium completed earlier nan IOC holds its yearly gathering for astir 100 members.

A French bid uniting nan snowy Alps region and nan French Riviera edifice Nice came together past year.

The timeline of hardly 5½ years to hole for a scheduled opening ceremonial successful February 2030 successful nan southbound of France is already nan tightest immoderate modern Olympic big has faced.

“Between nan 7th of July and nan IOC Session successful Paris we will scope this confirmation astir nan guarantees,” said Karl Stoss, nan IOC personnel overseeing nan Salt Lake City and French Alps projects for nan Olympic body.

“This is very clear for us. We are very assured pinch this one,” Stoss said astatine an online briefing.

Each campaigner for 2030 and 2034 has had nary rival since entering exclusive talks pinch nan IOC past November. That move near competing bids from Sweden and Switzerland retired successful nan cold.

Salt Lake City antecedently hosted nan Winter Olympics successful 2002, aft a bid run that became notorious for IOC members getting perks and favors. Several later were expelled aliases resigned.

France antecedently hosted 3 Winter Olympics astatine Chamonix successful 1924, Grenoble successful 1968 and Albertville successful 1992.

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AP Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach speaks astatine nan opening of nan executive committee gathering of nan International Olympic Committee (IOC), astatine nan Olympic House, successful Lausanne, Switzerland, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. | Martial Trezzini, Keystone via Associated Press