Olympic Curling, Skating Fans to Become Close Friends

The International Olympic Committee has now confirmed the French Alps 2030 Olympic curling venue at Chassieu (Lyon) in France.

As first reported by The Curling News in July, Lyon’s vast Eurexpo convention centre and exhibition halls will play host to Olympic and Paralympic curling, with a full modular refrigeration plant required.

A recent IOC Coordination Commission visit clinched the arrangements for all Lyon-area venues, which will also see figure skating and speed skating take place at Eurexpo – in immediate proximity to curling.

Alpes 2030 will mark the first time three winter Olympic sport competitions have operated in the same complex. 

World Curling’s second-term president Beau Welling and Secretary General Colin Grahamslaw were on site as part of the Commission visit.

The Commission report also confirmed the main media centre will also be located at Eurexpo, while the location of the Lyon cluster’s athlete’s village will be a 15 to 20-minute drive away, in the La Saulaie district of Oullins-Pierre-Bénite. 

The Lyon area was selected late in the planning process after problems emerged with the original location of Nice, on the southern shore of the Mediterranean.

The IOC Commission also confirmed that ice hockey will be contested at two locations, Hall Tony Garnier and an arena in Décines-Charpeau.

As for snow sports, alpine skiing will be hosted at Courchevel and Val d’Isère, with snowboarding disciplines taking place in the southern alps at Montgenèvre and Serre Chevalier. 

Long track speed skating will be hosted in the Netherlands, at Heerenveen.

“Through this week’s site visits, discussions, presentations and decisions, we have seen the Organising Committee make real progress across every part of the project, supported by its delivery partners, the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee and the wider Olympic and Paralympic Movements,” said Pierre-Oliver Beckers-Vieujant, Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission. 

“These Games now have a clear vision, a striking visual identity, a compelling sports programme, an optimised venue plan and solid economic foundations. The teams are growing and gaining strength, and they are well placed to move from strategy to detailed operational planning and engagement.”