France will be the first country to host both a Summer and Winter Olympics within a decade since the Games began alternating every two years in 1994.
Already, however, the countdown to French Alps 2030, as the event has been branded, has been mired in controversy.
Earlier this year, plans to host some of the events in Nice – including ice hockey, figure skating, curling and short track – were derailed when the city’s newly elected mayor, Eric Ciotti, opposed the construction of a temporary ice rink in the football stadium.
“Paris, compared to many other Olympics, was fairly successful in terms of organisation,” agrees Dr Stuart Whigham, a senior lecturer in sport, coaching and physical education at Oxford Brookes University in the UK.
“One thing that was good for Paris, and that I think will feed into 2030 for the Winter Olympics, is it didn't waste a lot of money on lots of new venues.”
Dr Stuart Whigham is a senior lecturer in sport, coaching and physical education at Oxford Brookes University in the UKDr Stuart Whigham
Using many existing facilities, he said, meant Paris avoided “these big white elephants” – new stadiums or facilities that never get used – that have been an unwelcome legacy of some previous Games.
Indeed, Paris 2024 made sustainability a cornerstone of its Olympic legacy, using existing venues for 95% of events.
It also excelled at branding, showcasing its most famous sites as backdrops for the events. Beach volleyball took place at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, and fencing was in the Grand Palais.
Dr Whigham, whose research has focused on the sociology and politics of sport, with a particular interest in the study of national identity, nationalism and sport, said: “I think Paris did this very well, using existing global landmarks.”
He believes that similar exposure will benefit the Alps. Such publicity can create a long-term economic legacy, as more people are tempted to visit the region, particularly winter sports fans who “tend to be people with deeper pockets”.
He added: “Paris 2024 relaunched the city onto the global market in terms of image projection. And I think the same could happen for the French Alps in 2030.”
“These are in more rural areas where transport links aren’t as good…and there's not necessarily the space to just put up new hotels or to insert athletes' villages. You need to try and make use of what's already there.
“One of the challenges will be making sure that the current infrastructure is sufficient for not just the influx of athletes, but also fans and the massive media entourage.”
And regular visitors might think twice about visiting an area during the Olympic period.
“There may be a slight deflationary impact; people saying: ‘Perhaps this year we'll avoid that area because it's going to be more expensive, and we'll look for other places to go for our skiing holiday instead.’
“You might actually find that the bread and butter of the local economy is scared off.”
Organisers, he said, will have to mitigate this effect on local businesses.
Climate change will also be a concern. Some lower-altitude ski resorts have already closed in recent years due to a lack of snowfall.
“The organisers will probably hope that, when the cameras are on, there is a lot of snow and a wintry feel, so people will then think: ‘Oh, actually, it still seems okay there.’”
Many countries bidding to host the Games are historic global powers that have seen a decline in political status, said Dr Whigham.
“The UK in 2012 is a perfect example; it was an opportunity to almost rebrand Britain as a more forward-thinking place.
“It’s the same for France. I think France was feeling that its status as one of the main powers of the EU was being somewhat diminished.
“Hosting the two Games is an exercise in soft power for it, not just in terms of the EU but also globally.”
Having two Olympics so close together also means existing knowledge can be shared.
“You'll often find there's a lot of movement of staff between one Olympic organising committee and another. A lot of people who were involved in Paris 2024 will stay involved in some way with the handover, planning and build-up.”
While the legacy of the Paris Olympics has been debated, overall France can feel good going into 2030.
“I think there'll be some confidence taken from Paris 2024 because, apart from the controversies [such as the cleanliness of the Seine for swimming events], the general consensus… is that it was relatively successful in terms of delivery, legacy and optics.”
But things could still change between now and 2030.
“At the moment, it looks fine, but the winds of politics and society can change quite quickly and more nervousness may well creep in.”
