Frustrated Killy leaves Val d'Isere 2009 board

Triple Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy has stepped down from his role as executive president of the Organizing Committee for the 2009 Alpine FIS Ski World Championships, citing a lack of progress in planned construction projects. FIS President Gian-Franco Kasper said the event may be in jeopardy at Val d'Isere unless progress is made.

TRIPLE OLYMPIC CHAMPION Jean-Claude Killy has stepped down from his role as executive president of the Organizing Committee for the 2009 Alpine FIS Ski World Championships, citing a lack of progress in planned construction projects.
    Killy, also a member of the IOC, which meets this week in Guatemala to choose the site of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, resigned from his position for the 2009 event, planned in February 2009 in his hometown of Val d’Isère, France.
    In a letter received on Friday by the mayor of Val d’Isère, Bernard Catalan, also a top-ranked official on the organizing committee board, Killy explained that a lack of progress in construction, and his inability to force local authorities to speed up certain projects, led to his decision. 
    “We have decided to stop trying to bring to your attention the urgency and seriousness of the situation,” wrote Killy. “Because of delays in construction work, the appointment of relevant experts and the establishment of measures which will guarantee security, I fear the worst as regards the smooth running of the World Championships.”
    In a press conference in Annecy in the office of the French Ski Federation two weeks ago, Killy said that there was still a lot to do on the slopes and in the town to accomplish an outstanding World Championships. “We are not organizing another Criterium de la 1ere Neige, but a big event lasting two weeks, with 500 million TV spectators and 70 participating countries. We can’t afford to miss that opportunity,” he said.
    FIS President Gian Franco Kasper reacted to the news of Killy’s resignation: “We were aware in recent months that all was not well and the lack of progress with the keys areas highlighted by Jean-Claude Killy is of serious concern to FIS. We will be communicating with the president of the Organizing Committee, the mayor of Val d’Isère Bernard Catelan, and installing a series of deadlines for the implementation of the various projects. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the championships in Val d’Isère may be in jeopardy unless the political leadership of the Organizing Committee reacts and demonstrates immediate and actual progress.”
    Killy was very irritated by lack of support from parts of the local community and the city council — both divided in two groups supporting and resisting the 2009 worlds and the expenses necessary to build a major conference and sports complex near the arrival of the races.
    It’s not the first time that the former overall World Cup champion, a man a great vision always “shooting for stars,” has resigned from such a high management position. It happened two years before the 1992 Winter Olympics in nearby Albertville, after he struggled to convince some of the local resorts to share his views on achieving efficient Olympics using fewer sites than originally scheduled. Some of his former teammates such as Marielle Goitschel and Leo Lacroix were involved in tough campaigns against his plans.
    Yet Killy came back after a while in the role of co-president along his friend Michel Barnier, now a French minister of agriculture, following as it seems strong requests from high officials from the French government and from Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former president of IOC.
    Killy was also for a long time the CEO of France’s A.S.O. Group, which organizes major events such as the Tour de France (cycling) or Paris Dakar (rallye-raid).
    Born in August 1943 in Paris, Killy moved to Val d’Isère with his family after the end of World War II. His father, Robert, a successful pilot of the Royal Air Force during the war, run a small hotel — La Bergerie — in the then small village of Val d’Isère, which became one of the most well-know French resorts after the huge successes of Killy and his teammates Christine and Marielle Goitschel, who captured several gold medals at the 1964 and 1968 Olympics.
    In 1968, Killy ended his racing career at the age of 24 to become a very successful businessman under the guidance of his friend Mark McCormack, the founder of IMG. Interestingly enough, Killy’s original dream after the end of his career was to become a PR manager for Val d’Isère and live there along his family, but the former mayor, Noel Machet, refused his (modest) proposal at that time, saying that Val d’Isère doesn't really need Killy, explaining that the resort will enjoy strong publicity each time the name of Jean-Claude Killy appears in the press.
    This decision led Killy to accept an offer from McCormack to move to the United States for a tremendous career as spokesperson for major companies such as United Airlines, Head, GM and Rolex. He returned to ski racing on Bob Beattie’s Pro Tour in November 1972 and won the Pro World Championships title in March 1973 at Aspen after fierce fights with other spectacular head-to-head specialist such as Harald Stueffer, Spider Sabich and Hugo Nindl. Later, his ran a high-class ski wear company, Veleda-Killy, which became extremely successful.
    Killy joined the Val d’Isère bid in 2002 after its first unsuccessful attempt to get the 2007 FIS Alpine SWC in Portoroz, Slovenia. Val d’Isère was clearly leading the votes in the first round there against Are and Lillehammer — missing the win by a single vote – but lost in the final round against the Swedes.
    He helped Val d’Isère to convince the members of the FIS Council two years later at Miami, Florida, winning against other strong candidates such as Vail-Beaver Creek, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Schladming.
    Killy’s intention to remain at the disposal of the organizing committee as a consultant may help to resolve some of the issue
s and find ways to bring new momentum in the calendar of Val d’Isère 2009.