The ecologist mayor of Lyon, Gregory Doucet, has volunteered to host ice sports in Lyon during the 2030 Olympics, his office said on Wednesday, while Eric Ciotti’s election in Nice casts doubt on the current project.
During a meeting with the LR president of the Lyon metropolitan area, Gregory Doucet “proposed to support the idea of hosting ice Olympic competitions during the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” his office said in a statement.
“This project is currently supported by the Southern region,” said the entourage of the new president of the metropolitan area, Veronique Sarselli (The Republicans, right), referring to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, co-host of these Games with Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. As the future Olympic hub for ice sports, Nice is set to host figure skating, ice hockey, short-track, curling, as well as an Olympic village and a media center.
The current project includes temporarily covering the Allianz Riviera football stadium where OGC Nice plays, for hockey, and building a skating rink and the Olympic village in the west of Nice.
Lyon will host the Ice Hockey World Cup in 2028
During the campaign, Eric Ciotti refused to deprive OGC Nice of its stadium for several months and to build a new Olympic complex. Since his election, he has reiterated his “extremely attached” willingness to host ice events in his city.
On the other hand, Lyon, which does not have a role in the stadium’s organization for the 2030 Winter Games, will host the Ice Hockey World Cup in 2028. During the electoral campaign, Gregory Doucet, interviewed on BFM Lyon, stated that it was a “good way to train, to rehearse maybe in preparation for the 2030 Olympics.”
When asked about the possibility of an opening ceremony for these Games in Lyon, he replied, “Why not? Lyon is ideally positioned to participate in these Olympics.” Mr. Doucet’s circle points out that the city has two ice rinks, and that other structures in the metropolitan area could host such events.
