The head of the organizing committee for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, Cyril Linette, has resigned, organizers confirmed Thursday. The departure, formalized at a board meeting last week, follows months of public disagreement with committee chief Edgar Grospiron and a series of leadership resignations, raising questions about the Games’ preparations.
Organizers cited “irreconcilable differences” between Linette and Grospiron as the reason for the exit, stating they are seeking “new momentum through renewed governance.” Linette, who was appointed CEO last April, had been involved in a public dispute with Grospiron, a dispute that escalated with the resignations of the chief operating officer and the communications director.
Linette’s career in sports media spanned decades before joining the French Alps 2030 team. He began as a journalist at Eurosport in 1996, moving to Canal Plus two years later. He held various editorial positions at Canal Plus, becoming director of sports in 2008. He later served as director general of the French sports publication L’Équipe from 2015 to 2018, followed by roles at Pari Mutuel Urbain, TEMA, and the LFP. Most recently, he founded the Fellow Company, a media consultancy.
Grospiron, a former Olympic skiing champion, was named president of French Alps 2030 last February, after Martin Fourcade withdrew from contention for the post. The Games, budgeted at €2 billion ($2.1 billion), are scheduled to take place between February 1 and 17, 2030, across Nice and the French Alps, encompassing the regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
The organizing committee released a statement affirming the commitment of stakeholders to the success of the Games, emphasizing the continuation of ongoing work. France was conditionally awarded hosting rights by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July 2024, with the necessary financial guarantees from the French government secured by October of the same year.
The handover of the Olympic flag from Milan Cortina, host of the 2026 Winter Olympics, to the French Alps delegation took place Sunday, marking the official transition. The Milan Cortina Games concluded earlier in February.
