The French Alps 2030 Winter Olympics have been thrown into another leadership shake-up, with Vincent Roberti appointed interim president of the Games’ organizing committee following the sudden departure of former Olympic champion Edgar Grospiron.
Roberti, who already serves as the committee’s director general, was approved for the temporary presidency on Monday, September 14, after an extraordinary general assembly agreed to change the organization’s rules so he could hold both positions while a permanent president is sought.
The move is designed to prevent another disruption to preparations for the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, which have faced a series of governance disputes, executive departures and venue complications.
“I am ensuring continuity of the organising committee until a new president is appointed,” Roberti said, stressing that the organizing committee remains fully operational.
Another leadership change rattles French Alps 2030
Grospiron, the 1992 Olympic moguls champion, left the presidency after roughly 18 months in charge. His departure followed growing tensions surrounding the organization and its governance.
International Olympic Committee coordination commission chairman Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant described Roberti’s appointment as a measure that would provide “stability and continuity” to the project.
The IOC official also acknowledged that tensions had emerged among stakeholders, with disagreements over how decision-making authority and responsibilities were being handled.
Grospiron’s exit was not the first major leadership disruption. Former director general Cyril Linette left earlier in 2026, with reports citing serious disagreements within the organizing structure. Roberti subsequently took over as director general in June.
French media had already reported governance concerns during the summer, including delays involving key appointments and an internal audit launched by Roberti amid concerns about the organization and its workforce.
Venue problems add to the pressure
The leadership turmoil comes as organizers continue to reshape the Games’ venue plan.
One of the biggest changes involves ice sports originally planned for Nice. The city had been designated as the southern hub for ice events, but the plan changed after newly elected Nice mayor Eric Ciotti refused to make the Allianz Riviera available for a temporary ice hockey venue.
The IOC subsequently backed a plan to concentrate most ice sports in Lyon, while speed skating is expected to be staged at the Thialf arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
The change is significant because the French Alps project is already working under a compressed timetable. The Games were formally awarded to the French Alps in 2024, leaving organizers with less preparation time than many previous Olympic hosts. The Associated Press reported that the project was already operating on an unusually tight schedule when it was selected.
IOC inspection adds another test
Roberti’s appointment also comes as an IOC Coordination Commission delegation visits Lyon to review preparations for the 2030 Games.
A news conference is scheduled for September 16, when the IOC is expected to address preparations and the allocation of sports and disciplines to Lyon.
Despite the turmoil, the IOC has continued to express confidence in the project. According to AP, the organization said the Games’ economic fundamentals remained solid, with a sponsor already secured and additional partners expected, while organizers have been developing a broader venue plan.
What happens next?
Roberti’s appointment is intended as a temporary solution, not a permanent restructuring of the French Alps 2030 leadership.
The organizing committee must still find a permanent president capable of bringing together France’s political, regional and sporting stakeholders while keeping preparations on schedule.
That makes the next phase particularly important: organizers will have to demonstrate that the latest leadership change can finally restore stability to a project that has already endured multiple departures and major venue changes.
The French Alps 2030 Games are scheduled to take place in February 2030, meaning organizers have less than four years to complete the remaining planning, venue and operational work.
For now, Roberti has been handed the difficult task of keeping the Olympic project moving while France searches for the person who will permanently lead it.
And with the IOC’s latest review underway, the next few weeks could prove critical for the future of the French Alps 2030 Games.
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