French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has confirmed he will be part of the Annecy 2018 bid delegation in Durban next week for the 123rd International Olympic Committee Session and the 2018 Winter Olympic Games host city announcement.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy won’t be in attendance, but the Presidents of Munich and PyeongChang, Annecy’s competitors for the 2018 Games, will be there to represent their bids.
Annecy 2018 President Charles Beigbeder said, “it is fantastic news for Annecy 2018 that the Prime Minister of France, Francois Fillon, will lead with the minister of sports Chantal Jouanno the French delegation in Durban. Throughout this campaign we have had support from the President and the Prime Minister for our vision of authentic Games in the heart of the mountains, with the athletes for the future.
“We are proud that Francois Fillon, the head of our government, has had a close association with the bid during the campaign and met personally with the IOC Evaluation Commission in Annecy in February 2011.
“His presence in Durban shows how much Annecy 2018 means to our country and how strong our desire is to work in partnership with the IOC to use the global platform of the French Alps to benefit winter sports all over the globe”.
