The chief executive of the 2030 Winter Olympics organising committee (Cojop) in the French Alps has stepped down after a serious falling out with the president Edgar Grospiron, it was announced on Wednesday.
Cyril Linette had been in his post since last April, personally chosen by Grospiron, and becomes the fourth senior executive to leave in the past two months.
Linette’s departure seemed inevitable since a statement was issued following a meeting of all the interested parties, including the political leaders of the regions, earlier this month.
They said they had “noted irreparable differences between president Edgar Grospiron and the chief executive Cyril Linette”, adding they had given their go-ahead to Grospiron to “conduct the required discussions” and “propose the most convenient solution”.
Grospiron appeared on Wednesday before a French Senate committee, along with Pierre-Antoine Molina, the civil servant responsible for the Olympics and the Paralympics, devoted to discussing the crisis affecting the leadership.
Grospiron, who won freestyle skiing Olympic gold in the 1992 Games in Albertville, appeared via a video link and refused to divulge what the disagreements between himself and Linette had been, saying they were covered by a “confidentiality clause”.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu had entered the debate on Monday, before the ceremony when the Olympic flag was officially raised in Albertville in the Alps.
“Everyone must be at their battle stations and pull in the same direction in order to bring 2030 to fruition,” he said.
The departure of Linette follows that of the chair of the organising team’s compensation committee Bertrand Meheut, a former president of the Canal+ media group, director of operations Anne Murac and communications chief Arthur Richter.
Grospiron for his part said he was “astonished” by a question from a senator as to whether he would also be resigning.
“I am both surprised and astonished because I have no idea where you would have heard that I was going to resign,” said Grospiron.
“I have always been and I am still 100 percent involved and devoted to this project,” he said.
The 56-year-old admitted not everything was sweetness and light.
“These difficulties we are experiencing must be looked at clearly, their existence cannot be denied,” he said.
“In order to get over them we have to act methodically, rigorously, and as a team.”
Grospiron conceded the crisis had prompted “a little delay” for several dossiers (partnerships, venues and additional sports).
“The delays we have had for these subjects has absolutely no impact on the delivery of the Games,” he said.
“All of them are progressing.”
He revealed the present unsettled climate had most notably delayed the signing of several partnerships, making it imperative to reorganise the Cojop leadership immediately.
He added a “joint marketing contract with the IOC” had been signed last week, which will open the way for the signing of contracts soon.
“We are in a very positive dynamic,” he said.
Wednesday’s statement paid tribute to the work done by Linette.
However, they added the decision “is in line with the collective desire to give Cojop a new elan thanks to a refreshed governance, at a time when with the foundations laid, we are entering a new key phase of the delivery of the project”.
The crisis at the top had drawn comment from Pierre-Olivier Beckers, the head of the IOC’s coordination commission for the 2030 Games, in his update on preparations given to the IOC Session in Milan earlier this month.
The Belgian aristocrat conceded the French team had a shorter preparation time than other Winter Olympics, having only begun work in 2024, when President Emmanuel Macron guaranteed the French state’s financial backing, but he warned rapid progress was required.
“Once the Milano-Cortina Games conclude, the world’s attention will shift rapidly towards 2030,” he said.
“Expectations will rise, the pace will intensify, the work ahead is substantial, and the clock will start ticking even louder.
“But my feeling is that if you work as a strong trusting team, a collective team, guided and inspired by the vision and the mission of this project, together you can only succeed.”
kad-bdx-et/pi/iwd/bsp
