Olympics-Men's ice hockey at 2030 Games may be moved to Lyon or Paris

Lyon or Paris could host ​the men's ice hockey tournament ​at the 2030 Olympic ‌Games instead ​of Nice, the French Alps 2030 organising committee said on Tuesday.

Lyon or Paris could host ​the men's ice hockey tournament ​at the 2030 Olympic ‌Games instead ​of Nice, the French Alps 2030 organising committee said on Tuesday. The Allianz Riviera stadium in ‌Nice, home to Nice football club, had been designated to host the men's and women's ice hockey tournaments in the official, but newly elected mayor ‌of Nice, Eric Ciotti, refused to relocate the football club for ‌an extended period.

"In a spirit of restraint and budget optimisation, the organising committee has decided to broaden its investigations by exploring the possibility of using existing facilities in ⁠other ​major cities such ⁠as Lyon or Paris, specifically those with a minimum gross seating capacity of 10,000 ⁠places," the organising committee said in a statement. Efforts to identify alternatives in Nice included ​examining the feasibility of installing a temporary ice rink at two ⁠smaller stadiums but the organising committee highlighted high costs among reasons to rule out ⁠those ​options.

Nice remains in the frame to host the women's tournament at the exhibition centre, pending approval from the International Ice Hockey Federation. ⁠Figure skating, short track and curling events in Nice are unchanged. The organising ⁠committee will present ⁠its findings to the executive board on May 11, with the venue map scheduled to be completed by ‌the end ‌of June.