POSTED: Friday August 27th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Annecy 2018: a resolutely youthful Olympic bid

Edgar Grospiron takes a look back at the YOG to plan for the future.

Just back from the 1st Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, Edgar GROSPIRON, Olympic Champion and CEO of the French bid to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, takes a look back over the event in Singapore, and shares his views and a number of issues for the Annecy 2018 project to work upon.

"Everybody agreed, these 1st Youth Olympic Games were both exceptional in quality and highly creative on a cultural level. The organisers succeeded in instilling a festive yet universal dimension, via a cultural programme which transformed the athletes and young participants into a host of players each with their role to play in a new form of participatory event.  When it comes to organising future projects on this kind of scale, Singapore has rewritten the rule book. In Singapore, we were plunged into a massive universal celebration: a celebration of youth, driven by young people themselves.

As it seems quite natural for a bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic games to be driven by sportsmen and women, by Olympic Champions or medallists,  it is no less natural to bring on board the public, particularly the younger generations, in our vision of the Games. The YOG confirmed to us that we are heading in the right direction with our bid. Young people are at the very heart of our project; they are our greatest asset, in Singapore, in Annecy, in France and throughout the world.

Having the opportunity to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games would give us the chance to launch a real social and educational project based on real values: a genuine regional spirit, in the heart of the mountains and the French Alps, an event on the world's doorstep, an event to be shared by one and all, a focus on sustainable development and a different approach to the mountains.

To get today's youth to play their full part in the 2018 Games, we are already involving them in our approach. Keen to share with them our region's enthusiasm for sports, we have launched a programme to mobilise one million people from our region, under the auspices of the Rhône-Alpes Region and the institutions backing our bid.

With them and for them, we plan to set up a 5-point cultural and educational programme based on Olympic values: openness to culture and worldwide exchanges, awareness of sustainable development, practising sports and accessibility of the mountains, awareness of disability, and co- creation network with young people.

The town of Annecy and each venue within our bid will become a playing field for festive events and participatory sports and cultural activities. This programme will be an integral part of our project for Annecy 2018, with a view to providing the Olympic family, athletes and spectators alike, with a spectacular they will never forget, and, judging from the very positive feedback we have received regarding our bid, we are on the right lines and we are determined to achieve our goal!"

Edgar Grospiron, CEO Annecy 2018

Reminder:
- A programme to mobilize a million young people as part of the heart of the bid project
-Five-part plan around Olympic values: openness to culture and worldwide exchanges, awareness of sustainable development, practicing sport and mountains accessibility, awareness of handicaps, and co-creation network with young people

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Keywords · Annecy 2018 · Olympic Bidding · Edgar Grospiron · YOG

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Name: Alexandra Carraz
Organization: Annecy 2018
Email:
Phone: + 33 (0)6 22 86 73 12
URL: http://www.annecy2018.com/fr/

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