OLYMPICS: France welcomes Olympic flag as 2030 Winter Games loom

The Olympic flag returned to French soil on Monday, less than two years after the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, marking the start of preparations for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) welcomed their delegation and the flag with a celebration in Albertville, the host of France’s last Winter Olympics in 1992, following Chamonix 1924 and Grenoble 1968. Thousands of fans attended the event.

“A moment full of enthusiasm, part of the momentum building up to the 2030 Games,” said Fabrice Pannekoucke, president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council, during last week’s press conference. “We know that the history of the Winter Games in France stopped in Albertville.”

The celebration followed the ceremonial handover on Sunday, when Pannekoucke and his Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur counterpart Renaud Muselier received the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Games in Verona.

France had its best Winter Games performance ever at Milano-Cortina 2026, winning a total of 23 medals, including eight golds.

“Sharing this with all the French fans will be a nice little moment of happiness,” said biathlon mass start Olympic champion Oceane Michelon in Albertville.

Ice dancers Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry, who won the Olympic title less than a year after forming their partnership, also spoke about their achievement.

“The pleasure we shared on the ice was amazing,” said Fournier Beaudry. “We don’t know yet what the future reserves for us, but we know that we will keep skating together and regroup at the end of the season to decide our next steps.”

Ski mountaineers Thibault Anselmet and Emily Harrop won the inaugural mixed relay title at Milano-Cortina. The future of the event in the Olympics remains uncertain.

“We’re not sure yet whether ski mountaineering will be included, but we’re very hopeful. Based on what we’ve experienced here, we’re confident,” Harrop told reporters.

The celebration, attended by French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, took place amid a governance crisis in the French Alps organizing committee, with a wave of resignations and reported “irreconcilable differences” between Games chief Edgar Grospiron and CEO Cyril Linette.

“We’re managing, we’re keeping things going. There’s turbulence, we agree, but we’re working,” Grospiron told France TV. “When you aim high, it inevitably makes the difficulties greater, but I won’t compromise on our vision.” -Reporting by Charlene Personnaz, writing by Vincent Daheron, editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters