France’s bid for the 2030 Winter Games is supported by three-quarters of one of the nation’s two Alpine regions that hope to host the Olympics, according to a new poll that’s been called “bogus” by opponents.
The poll commissioned by the bid, conducted in October by the French Institute of Public Opinion, found that 75% in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur want to host the Olympics, compared to 62% in the Hautes-Alpes, insidethegames.biz reported.
France is a late entry into the race to host the next Winter Games to be awarded by the International Olympic Committee, joining bids from Sweden and Switzerland as well as from Salt Lake City, identified as the only candidate for its preferred date, 2034.
Earlier in October, the IOC voted to allow both the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games to be awarded at the same time. IOC leaders will decide in the coming weeks which bids advance to contract negotiations and a final vote on the sites by the full membership will be in 2024.
However, IOC President Thomas Bach has also made it clear there’s no guarantee the sites of both the 2030 and 2034 Winter Games will be named together, leaving Salt Lake City as an option if all of the three 2030 candidates fall through.
Utah leaders, including Gov. Spencer Cox, remain enthusiastic about another Olympics coming to Salt Lake City, site of the 2002 Winter Games. The reason for wanting to wait until 2034 is to avoid financial competition with the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
French bid officials celebrated the results of their polling, which opponents claimed was flawed.
“The candidacy of the French Alps for the 2030 Winter Olympics arouses the enthusiasm of young people, workers and winter sports enthusiasts,” the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region said in a statement reported by French broadcaster BFMTV.
“Even those who aren’t normally interested in it are in favor,” the bid statement said, according to a translation. “Contrary to what the ‘No Olympics’ try to make us believe, the Winter Olympics in our Alps are very popular.”
But “No JO,” a group opposed to the bid for another “les Jeux Olympiques” in France following the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, suggested the results were skewed by how the poll question was worded.
Residents of the mountain regions were asked, “Would you be in favor or not in favor of organizing the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games respectful of the environment of our French Alps, and compatible with climate imperatives?”
To Stéphane Passeron, a member of “No JO,” that wording was “bogus.”
“It’s like asking if we want gifts for Christmas,” he told the French TV network, demanding a referendum on the bid. “And there I am sure that we will win. If the region is so sure of the support of the population, why not organize this referendum?”
Although there’s been some concern Utahns may grow tired of the bid process, support in the state for another Olympics reached more than 80% in a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll earlier this year.
GamesBids.com reported polls in Switzerland and Sweden have also shown strong support for the Winter Games bids in those countries. In Switzerland, the bid has the backing of 67%, while as many as 70% support Sweden’s efforts.