Edgar Grospiron has stepped down as president of the Organizing Committee for the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. His departure was formalized this Thursday during a meeting of the COJOP executive board, just 18 months after his appointment to head the project. The 1992 Albertville Olympic moguls champion had been weakened for several months by a deep governance crisis.
This resignation opens a new and delicate period for the organization of the Games, less than four years before the event. The project had nevertheless reached a decisive stage in April 2025 with the signing of the contract officially designating the French Alps as hosts of the 2030 Winter Olympics , after several months of uncertainty surrounding the guarantees provided by France.
An officially promoted "chosen transition"
The executive committee has taken note of Edgar Grospiron's decision to step down. The organizing committee presents his departure as a concerted decision intended to allow the project to continue its preparations.
The Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (COJOP) asserts that "its decision to step down from the presidency stems from a deliberate, organized, and responsible transition, in the best interests of the project and its governance ." It further specifies that this decision "reflects a shared desire with stakeholders to enable the organization to quickly enter this new operational phase . "
For several months, strong tensions surrounded the governance of the committee. Relations between Edgar Grospiron and several institutional actors in the project had gradually deteriorated to the point where his continued presidency was becoming increasingly difficult.
Cyril Linette's departure had already revealed the tensions
The crisis came to a head with the departure of Cyril Linette, recruited in 2025 as managing director and presented as the organization's number two. At the time, Cyril Linette had been officially appointed managing director of Alpes 2030 to work alongside Edgar Grospiron.
But this collaboration quickly deteriorated. Cyril Linette ultimately resigned in early 2026 amid profound disagreements with the president. Other committee members also left the organization, including Anne Murac, director of operations, and Arthur Richer, director of communications.
Vincent Roberti was then appointed general manager in May 2026 to take over the operational management of Cojop.
The disagreements of the summer accelerated Grospiron's downfall
Tensions escalated further during the summer. At the executive meeting on July 23, Edgar Grospiron attempted to validate several appointments to strategic positions, even though his governance style was already facing strong criticism.
The president of the Auvergne-Rhône- Alpes region , Fabrice Pannekoucke, notably left the meeting . Edgar Grospiron then wanted to appoint Xavier Becker to operations and Blandine Vinagre-Rocca to the executive team.
The president of the CNOSF, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, had also publicly acknowledged significant difficulties in the project's governance. Edgar Grospiron's situation had therefore become extremely precarious.
A provisional presidency must be established.
Edgar Grospiron's departure does not immediately resolve the question of his succession. An extraordinary general meeting must be held to establish an interim presidency before a new president of the organizing committee is appointed.
In the meantime, Vincent Roberti remains responsible for the operational management of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee. This transition period comes as the teams must continue preparing the venues, infrastructure, sports program, and financing for the Games.
A budget of over 2 billion euros to manage
The organizing committee has to manage a budget exceeding 2 billion euros to prepare for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Controlling spending is already one of the sensitive issues of the project.
The Court of Auditors had also called for increased oversight of the organization and its economic model. After presenting the financial report for Paris 2024, Pierre Moscovici warned of the need to closely monitor spending related to the 2030 Winter Games.
Only 18 months at the helm of Alpes 2030
Edgar Grospiron was appointed president of the organizing committee on February 18, 2025, following Martin Fourcade's withdrawal. His presidency therefore lasted only about 18 months.
Edgar Grospiron, Olympic champion in 1992, former director of Annecy's bid for the 2018 Games, and a well-known figure in French sport, had been chosen to embody the French Alps project. His departure now marks another change in leadership for Games whose organization has already experienced several internal crises.
