Everything is ok, except for hockey: the end of the Nice saga for the 2030 Olympics hoped for at the end of the week

While Nice is theoretically set to host figure skating, ice hockey, short track, curling, an Olympic village, and a media center during the 2030 Winter Olympics, the new mayor Eric Ciotti has expressed opposition to the project of installing ice hockey at the Allianz Riviera, home of OGC Nice. This Monday, the President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, Renaud Muselier, stated that a decision should be made before the end of the week.

The issue of organizing the ice events of the 2030 Winter Olympics in Nice should be resolved by the end of the current week, Renaud Muselier, President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, explained on Monday to AFP.

“We are walking on a tightrope, but the tightrope is still tensioned, and we haven’t fallen off it. We have the week,” Muselier declared after a meeting between the various stakeholders of the organization of the Winter Olympics scheduled to take place in the French Alps. Nevertheless, on Friday, the situation seemed to be at an impasse, with Renaud Muselier and Eric Ciotti, the new mayor of Nice, accusing each other of obstructing progress.

“Technicians are now at the table, and we will see what comes out of it”

Nice is supposed to host figure skating, ice hockey, short track, curling, an Olympic village, and a media center.

“Everything is ok, except for ice hockey,” said Muselier on Monday. For Ciotti, the project of temporarily covering the Allianz Riviera football stadium to host the hockey tournament, which would deprive OGC Nice of its stadium for several months, remains “an absolute red line.”

“Everyone did some work over the weekend, and Mr. Ciotti’s alternative options have been presented. Mr. Cadot said we need to study them, and we have until the end of the week,” Renaud Muselier said on Monday.

Michel Cadot, former prefect of Île-de-France and former interministerial delegate for the 2024 Olympics, is currently on an interim mission at the organization committee of the 2030 Olympics pending the appointment of a new general director.

“So now the technicians are at the table, and we will see what comes of it. It may work or it may not,” Muselier added regarding the proposals put forward by Ciotti. “Everyone wants Nice. There is a strong attachment to the Nice area, which had greatly impressed the IOC,” the President of the Paca region also pointed out.