The decision of the IBU, the organising instance of the international biathlon world cup circuit, the French Ski Federation and the Biathlon Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand Organising Committee was not in doubt, but was nevertheless expected. In view of the unfavourable weather conditions of the last few weeks (no natural snowfall, nor cold weather allowing the production of snow), the Organising Committee had to deploy the reserves of stored snow, imposed by the specifications of the International Federation, in order to cover the slopes and the stadium necessary for the competition.
As for the rest of the installations (stands, shooting range and other non-permanent structures), the assembly was successfully completed thanks to the work of the teams and volunteers.
And it was a clear “yes” this morning that validated the efforts made to organise the French stage of the biathlon world cup in satisfactory conditions from a logistical point of view from 12 to 18 December.
The representatives of the local executive committee gathered around André Perrillat-Amédé, president of the Organising Committee and Mayor of Grand-Bornand, Catherine Allard, deputy sports director of the city of Annecy, Fabien Saguez, president of the French Ski Federation, Lionel Tardy, vice-president of the Haute-Savoie Department, also representing the Savoie Mont-Blanc Agency, Antoine Dénériaz for the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, Gérard Fournier-Bidoz, President of the Communauté de Communes des Vallées de Thônes, Stéphane Deloche, President of Le Grand-Bornand SKi-Club and Sylvie Becaert, ambassador of the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand.
If the conditions are satisfactory from a logistical point of view, “we are aware that any event, and in particular an international one, has a significant environmental impact, on which we continue to work by pursuing the efforts already undertaken, such as the organisation of the collective travel of spectators from the valleys, which accounts for more than 80% of our carbon footprint”, testified André Perrillat-Amédé, President of the Biathlon Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand Organising Committee (CO Biathlon Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand), and Mayor of Grand-Bornand, on the occasion.
For more than 15 years, ski competitions in all disciplines have been organised using artificial snow or snow storage, the quality of which guarantees the safety of skiers and the fairness of competitions.
“We understand that the images of the transport of stored snow arouse strong reactions, but it is also important to point out that this transport represents less than 1% of the event’s CO² emissions. It is also important to note that half of the snow needed comes from the reserve located on the competition stadium and therefore does not require any transport”, adds André Perrillat-Amédé. The snow will then be used throughout the winter to ensure the operation of the Nordic area starting from the village.
In addition to meeting the IBU’s specifications, these resources will above all enable us to maintain a popular and unifying event, which is socially and economically important for the region.
As we are committed to the IBU for the 2024 and 2025 editions, it is clear that these environmental issues will continue to be at the heart of discussions with the various stakeholders in order to further reduce the event’s footprint.
It is now time for the final preparations before the 250 or so athletes expected to compete in the Sylvie Becaert stadium – the only arena on the circuit that can be almost entirely dismantled, and is therefore ecologically sustainable – for nearly 60,000 spectators, most of whom have already booked their place. To date, more than 50,102 tickets have been sold (compared to just over 56,000 at the end of last year’s competition), confirming the immense popularity of biathlon and its unifying values.
– Carbon footprint of the event*: 4,500 tonnes of CO2
– Travelling people (public, teams, volunteers, officials): 3,825 tonnes, 85%.
– Accommodation: 368 tonnes, 8.2%.
– Food: 253 tonnes, 5.6%.
– Energy: 16 tonnes, 0.35%
– Transport and snow production: 38 tonnes, 0.85%
*According to the IBU Carbon Footprint grid
– 53,000 spectators transported by shuttle bus from the valley and by Skibus in the resort to limit traffic and the use of private vehicles.
– 80% of the infrastructure is non-permanent. The Sylvie Becaert stadium is the only site on the circuit that has not built a permanent stadium, which has a much greater long-term energy impact. This decision allows an economy of functionality, as the heavy infrastructures (stands, bungalows, sanitary facilities, marquees), installed by regional companies, are used for other events during the rest of the year.
– Accommodation for the majority of the national teams and the organisation in the village to limit transport.
– Measures to reduce electricity consumption: installation of LED lighting in the stadium, limiting the temperature of the premises, reducing the size of the marquees used to welcome the public in order to limit the volume to be heated, limiting the use of generators in order to secure the energy supply necessary for the production of TV images with the installation of a system of inverters.
– Economic support for the region with nearly 5 million euros in economic spin-offs.
– A unifying project with 850 volunteers, mainly from the department, including 35% women and 65% men, with an average age of 52 years and a strong mix of generations.
– An event that brings together the population and the local associative and economic fabric around a common project.
– The reception of a large school public:
– 500 pupils from primary schools in the Thônes and Borne valleys
– 2500 secondary school students from the Haute-Savoie department
– 500 high school students from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
– The promotion of club sports with the involvement of young people from Le Grand-Bornand and Annecy clubs for the opening of the track and the prize-giving ceremonies.
– A privileged area dedicated to the reception of people with reduced mobility.
