Lyon ‘best solution’ to replace Nice for ice events at 2030 Winter Games

The decision follows the opposition of Nice’s new mayor Eric Ciotti to the installation of a temporary ice rink in Nice’s football stadium.

“The alternative solutions sought in Nice proved unsatisfactory,” Alps 2030 organisers said in a statement.

“The Lyon metropolitan area now appears to be the best solution to address this situation.”

“It’s settled, everything is moving forward,” a source close to the matter confirmed to AFP.

The initial plan had been to have the venues for the 2030 Games stretch from the Alps to the southern Mediterranean city.

Nice had been slated to host all the ice sports events —- hockey, figure skating, curling, and short track.

But that was disrupted by the election of right-wing politician Ciotti last March.

Ciotti opposed the construction of a temporary ice rink in the Allianz Riviera football stadium for the men’s hockey competition.

He also wanted to cancel the organisers’ plans to build a skating arena and the Olympic village in the west of France’s fifth largest city.

Instead, Ciotti has floated the idea of holding the figure skating at the city’s existing exhibition centre, and the Olympic Village on a site 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the venue allocated by the organisers.

“Consolidating all the ice events in the Lyon metropolitan area now appears to be the best solution to this situation,” organisers said on Friday after a meeting.

“However, it requires a swift continuation of the technical and budgetary analyses of this development.

“This will adhere to the validation schedule established jointly with the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and the international federations, with a decision expected by the end of June.”