500 sports actors gathered on ice for the CROS Trophies

The Charlemagne ice rink in Lyon was transformed on Wednesday night into a stage for celebrating regional sports. In front of over 500 guests, the Regional Olympic and Sports Committee of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (CROS) awarded 13 trophies during an event focused on the Winter Games of Milan-Cortina and the Alps 2030. Beyond the spectacle, the event confirmed the significance of sports in the economy and the attractiveness of the region.

For this 6th edition, the CROS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, led by Marie-Christine Plasse, chose an unusual setting: a maintained ice rink at 12°C and a bobsleigh arrival to create a wintry atmosphere and transport the audience towards the upcoming Olympic challenges.

Thirteen trophies were awarded to acknowledge the performances of regional athletes in 2025, in a region with over 2.25 million license holders and more than 20,000 clubs. Present at the ceremony, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, former Sports Minister and current president of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), emphasized the role of the region.

The evening was sponsored by Vincent Boury, a Paralympic table tennis champion, and Carole Montillet, an Olympic champion in alpine skiing, both iconic figures of French sports sharing their experiences.

The speeches went beyond just celebrating sports results. “Athletes are much more than victories or medals; they are a real model for youth,” Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said, highlighting their role in a society seeking role models.

Vincent Boury shared a personal testimony about the impact of sports on his journey: “Sports allowed me to focus on what is possible, on what I can develop,” emphasizing its reconstructive and projecting dimension.

Carole Montillet stressed the importance of the collective environment in performance: “Benefiting from the audience that pushes us, opening up to others, is what allows us to perform.” An approach reminding that sporting success also relies on a human and technical ecosystem.

Apart from athletes, the ceremony highlighted all the stakeholders shaping regional sports: clubs, volunteers, coaches, leagues, communities, and private partners.

“In life, sports allows us to surpass ourselves and go further,” said Marie-Christine Plasse, thanking all the contributors of the evening.

In the perspective of the 2030 Winter Olympics, this mobilization takes on a particular dimension, illustrating the region’s ability to rally around sports and use it as a lever for economic development and influence.