A bolt from the blue. Long favorite, the former biathlete, six times Olympic champion, Martin Fourcade, announced on Monday, February 3, the withdrawal of his candidacy for the presidency of the Organizing Committee (COJO) of the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps.
If the interested party evokes personal reasons, political differences partly explain his renunciation. His decision is also seen as a “Oxygen bowl” by the president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region Renaud Muselier, for whom the former champion “Cannot work in collective”.
“It is a very high level sportsman but it is a lonely”, entrusts the political leader to AFP. If the deputy and former president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez, was not expressed, he is of public notoriety that the sportsman’s profile, marked on the left, did not please him.
A cleavage between two worlds
A vision that contrasts with that of the sports world, where we unanimously praise the qualities of the former champion. “Over the last years of his career, he was a leader both by his results and in the messages he conveyedslides Marie-Laure Brunet, former French biathlete also accustomed podiums during the same decade. “” Through its involvement within the IOC (of which he became a member in 222 for an eight -year term, editor’s note) or in the actions he was able to carry out, especially in The fight against dopingwe felt his interest in the world of sport in the broad sense. »»
“Martin is curious about all the subjects of life, societal, environmental, and he does not do things out of interest …, ABSUS FABIEN SAGUEZ, President of the French SKI Federation (FFS). He is also someone with whom you can easily exchange on all subjects, whether we agree or not. He has this quality. »»
In his entourage, we praise his ability to learn quickly, to surround himself effectively to achieve the objectives he sets. “He has a very good knowledge of Olympism and a real athlete experience in a major eventsays Marie-Laure Brunet. His goal is not only to obtain victory, but to obtain it with the way! »»
For their part, the Olympic Committee (CNOSF) and the Paralympic Committee (CPSF) expressed their regret following the decision of the ex-biathlete. “Even though all opinions seemed to converge to bring it to the presidency of the cojop, for personal reasons and we respect them, he does not wish to go further. He will undoubtedly contribute to the success of the project he himself participated in writing ”said the institutions.
What consequences for the 2030 Alps?
The difference in vision between the sports world and the political world is in fact weakening the establishment of a clear organization chart. If it is difficult to see the light of day, the choice of a president or a president stems above all from a complicated equation to resolve: the future leader must appeal to both the President of the Republic, to the Prime Minister, to the Committee, to the Committee Olympic International (CIO), to the president of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) as well as in two French regions Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (AUR) and Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (PACA), hosts of the event. All in an unstable political context since the dissolution on June 9, which turned the calendar.
If in a press release the CNOSF confirms the installation of the cojo on February 18, the organization has tried to reassure the desired DNA for this world event. “From the outset, we very strongly insisted on what the 2030 winter games must be, whether it is sustainability, sobriety, vision of the mountain of tomorrow or the involvement of the involvement of territories and residents concerned ”, promised the institution. An answer addressed to biathlete which doubted the vision of the parties to make games “Ecological and anchored in the economic reality of our country”, when justifying his withdrawal.
Five years from the deadline, – while Tony Estanguet had been officially appointed president of the Paris 2024 cojo more than seven years before the event -, Renaud Muselier assures that“There are tracks that open”. With new names of athletes who have so far had not manifested themselves not to hinder the candidacy of the most successful French sportsman in the history of the games.
(tagstotranslate) Olympic games (OJ) (T) Biathlon (T) Fourcade (T) withdrawal