Freestyle skiing star Virginie Faivre appointed President of the Lausanne 2020 Organising Committee

Born in Lausanne, Virginie Faivre has a long career as an elite freestyle skier behind her. A three-time FIS (International Ski Federation) world champion in halfpipe (2009, 2013 and 2015) and three-time Crystal Globe winner in the discipline (2008, 2009, 2013), she brings to the Organising Committee her experience of major international winter sports competitions.  

"It is a great honour, of course, but above all a great joy for me to participate in the organisation of this great event, which is very dear to me," said Faivre. "I have been part of it from the beginning in 2013. Our victory at the IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur in 2015 was one of the highlights of my career. I feel a similar emotion today."

The new President will take over the reins of the Organising Committee on 7 January 2019 and will succeed IOC Member Patrick Baumann, who died suddenly last October in Buenos Aires (ARG) while attending the 3rd Summer Youth Olympic Games.

"Together with Patrick, I helped lay the foundations of the project during the Candidature Phase. Over the past four years, alongside the Organising Committee led by Ian Logan, he did extraordinary work. I look forward to continuing this work with the team, bringing my own sensitivity, athletic experience and knowledge of winter sports,” said Faivre. “In my role at the Fondation de l’Aide Sportive Suisse (Swiss Sport Foundation), I follow closely the challenges of youth sports development in the country. Much remains to be done, and Lausanne 2020 can be a real catalyst in this field,” she added. “Beyond competition, the aim of the Youth Olympic Games is also to pass on skills to the new generation. These Games must create vocations and a spirit of entrepreneurship amongst young people. All of this serves as particular motivation for me."

Philippe Leuba, Councillor of State for the Economy, Innovation and Sport and Vice-President of the Lausanne 2020 Executive Committee, said: "Virginie Faivre was quite an obvious choice for us. First, she has been part of the project from its beginning. But she also embodies a certain spirit of “new” winter sport that is very compatible with the concept of the Youth Olympic Games. Lausanne 2020 is a unique opportunity to showcase the strengths and skills of our canton in terms of sport, education and innovation. Virginie Faivre is a perfect symbol of this."

Grégoire Junod, Mayor of Lausanne and Vice-President of the Lausanne 2020 Executive Committee, added: "It is obviously a great pleasure for us to see a young athlete, who is also a native of Lausanne, take the lead in this wonderful project. The Youth Olympic Games aim to spread the healthy and positive values of sport to young people both here and abroad. Virginie Faivre will perfectly promote these unique assets from the heart of the Olympic Capital across the country and around the world over the next 12 months. We look forward to continuing our work alongside her and under her new leadership.”

Ian Logan, CEO of the Organising Committee, said: "This appointment is great news. Virginie Faivre is part of the Lausanne 2020 DNA. She will further strengthen the relations we have with sport and youth in the country, which are at the heart of the project. We are all looking forward to starting work with her.”

The Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 will take place from 9 to 22 January 2020 with 1,880 athletes (15-18 years old) from more than 80 countries. The competitions will take place in the cantons of Vaud (Lausanne, Leysin, Les Diablerets, Villars), Valais (Champéry) and Grisons (St Moritz), and in neighbouring France (Prémanon-Les Tuffes).

For more information on Lausanne 2020, visit www.lausanne2020.sport.