Triple Olympic Champion, Jean-Claude Killy, promised the 88 International Olympic Committee (IOC) members in Lausanne Wednesday a “new vision” for the Winter Games “combining passion and tradition for Winter Sports with savoir-faire” to “benefit us all”.
Killy emphasized that Annecy 2018’s bid is built on “excellence” and “harnesses all the great history of Winter Sports in France to look towards the future”.
Annecy’s presentation was second, with bid President Charles Beigbeder leading the presentation team. Beigbeder and Killy were supported during the 45-minute technical presentation and 45-minute question and answer session at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne by Guy Drut, Olympic Champion and IOC Member, Pernilla Wiberg and Jean-Pierre Vidal, Olympic Gold Medalists and Vice-Presidents of Annecy 2018, Jean-Luc Rigaut, Mayor of Annecy, and Denis Masseglia, President of the French National Olympic Committee.
Beigbeder explained how Annecy 2018 would address the challenges facing sport in the 21st Century by using the authentic global platform of the world’s No. 1 Winter Sports destination to “capture the imagination of the world” and promote the Games “not just in one city, one country, or one continent, but all over the world”.
He said that Annecy wished to work in partnership with the IOC to “maintain the position of the Olympic Winter Games as one of the world’s greatest sports events”.
French Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno, speaking on behalf of the Government said, Annecy is the world’s leading destination for winter sports. It offers an unrivalled global platform for the Games, with 10 million visitors from more than 100 countries coming to our region every year. The region thus offers 70 million visitors to whom we can promote Olympism over the next seven years”.
During her speech Ms. Jouanno read a message from President Sarkozy reaffirming the Government’s strong support for the bid.
Jean-Luc Rigaut, Mayor of Annecy, talked about the “incredible experience” that would be enjoyed by all visitors along with the “culture and celebration, in the heart of our communities and venues”.
Technical and visual information about the bid was provided to the IOC members along with three films.
Following Annecy’s presentation Jean-Claude Killy said, “we have nothing to envy from the other two bids. We are all three even now. It is not the case any more of being behind. It was the case before for good reason but not anymore. It went very well today”.
