Drut: Annecy Bid Gaining Timely Momentum

Annecy 2018 Winter Olympics Bid committee and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Guy Drut their efforts to be awarded the rights to stage the event are gaining momentum just at the right time, with the bidding race with Munich and PyeongChang ending at the IOC Session in Durban on July 6.

The French city’s bid has been regarded as the underdog of the three competitor’s for some time and was rocked further when former chief Edgar Grospiron resigned due to an apparent lack of funding.

However, since businessman Charles Beigbeder took over the bid has made decent strides in asserting itself as a contender once again having gained remewed support and financial backing, most significantly from the French government.

The first challenge for the ‘new campaign’ is the current visit of the IOC’s evaluation commission which is making a first stop in Annecy before going on to PyeongChang next week and then Munich at the end of the month.

On assessing Annecy’s prospects after its mini French revolution, Drut said: “We will need a bit of luck and team spirit to show the IOC members both that we can do it – and that we want to do it.

“With the new chairman and a new atmosphere the bid has becomes more solid and we have put in place the structures to sell it as well as possible – above all to the IOC members and the Olympic family and to the other National Olympic Committees.

“The first test after the evaluation commission visit will be SportAccord in London when we will be in front of the whole Olympic family.”

Drut confirmed that the bid planned only essential construction to minimise environmental disruption. He said: “There will ne no new roads, we don’t need any. We will use what is already in place. Our goal is to stage a ‘natural’ Games which is why we are trying not to build anything new unless we really need it, such as the Village.”