Annecy Anti-Olympic Committee Revel in Bid Failure

The Annecy Anti-Olympic Committee, an organisation based in Annecy who opposed their bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, claimed that “the citizens of Annecy have won” after the French town lost heavily in the voting, securing just seven votes at last week’s decision in Durban, South Africa.

The committee has also said that bid leader Charles Beigbeder should return his Légion d’honneur, one of the most privileged honours in France. 

A spokesperson for the group said: “Mr Beigbeder should send back his Légion d’honneur, which he deserves no more.

“Those responsible for this fiasco should face the consequences.”

“The Anti-Olympic committee is not hiding its pleasure and pride in contributing to this success.

“We have achieved our goal and the success of mobilising citizens to this cause is incontestable.

“Annecy and Haute-Savoie are liberated.”

They were also highly critical of the US$43m spent on Annecy’s bid, which they say “could have been better spent elsewhere”.

Annecy’s bid was dogged by a number of setbacks, including the revelation in the weeks leading up to the final decision in a survey that half of Annecy residents were against the campaign to win the right to host the Winter Olympics.

“We thank the members of the International Olympic Committee who heard us and understood that Annecy did not want these Games,” said the spokesperson.