Celebrations Grenoble Act II
Grenoble 50th Olympic Anniversary
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Olympic City: Grenoble
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Country: France
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Edition of the Games: 1968 Winter Olympic Games
Act II – Climax
Events’ Format
A series of small or large events, located in Grenoble or at other Olympic sites.
Popular and officials events.
A variety of events including Culture, Art, Sport, Academic work, Popular and Festive Celebrations.
Duration
From Autumn 2017 to June 2018
+ Members of the World Union of Olympic Cities visit to Grenoble and Chamrousse in November 2018.
Location
In Grenoble: Alpexpo; City Hall; Musée Dauphinois; Sports Palace; Bookshop Arthaud; Office of Tourism; Maison de l’International; University campus; Cinema Pathé Chavant; Summum; Malherbe area; Jardin de Ville
In associated sites: Alpe d’Huez (Olympic Site); Besançon; Villars de Lans (Olympic Site); Chamrousse (Olympic Site); Saint-Martin d’Uriage; Autrans (Olympic Site); Les deux Alpes; Vizille; Saint-Nizier du Moucherotte (Olympic Site); Seyssins
Partners
COLJOG (Conservatoire Observatoire Laboratoire des Jeux Olympiques de Grenoble)
City of Grenoble –50th anniversary of the 1968 OG Organising Committee
CDOSI (Comité Départemental Olympic et Sportif de l’Isère)
CNOSF
All Olympic Sites and other communes
Department of Isère
Grenoble Prefecture
University of Grenoble
French Ski Federation
Schools and sport clubs
Mobilisation & Visibility
2017 Poster Competition
Visual communication: Volunteers from COLJOG
Youth engagement through many initiatives and work with schools.
Instagram and Facebook communication with the Department of Isère.
Shuss: the very famous mascot of the Games was celebrated and honoured throughout the period, as the symbol of modern and popular Games.
8 March: to properly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Games in Grenoble, the city sports office (OMS) decided to pay tribute to their mascot, Shuss, by featuring it on the trophies awarded to Grenoble’s top male and female athletes. With their fantastic ambassador, Shuss, the COLJOG was a natural partner for this great ceremony.
10 March: The COLJOG and Shuss also took part in the 50th anniversary of the Malherbe neighbourhood, home to the main press centre. President Geo Perli represented the COLJOG, taking part in various discussions and seminars, and Shuss, a huge hit with the public, was honoured by the local population, featuring it on the façade of the cultural centre.
Combination with other events
The Celebrations were an occasion to make connections and synergies with several major events.
The PyeongChang Olympic Games were held at the same time. An Olympic Festival was organised by the NOC during the 2018 OG.
For the first time in history, the French champions of the 2018 OG weren’t in Paris! As a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Games in Grenoble, the CNOSF decided that the capital of the French Alps would have the honour of hosting and celebrating their heroes!
The first edition of the ISF School Winter Games was held at the Sport Palace during the celebrations. 1968 Olympians and gold medallists Jean-Claude Killy and Marielle Goitschel attended the Opening ceremony with Alain Calmat, the Olympian who lit the cauldron 50 years prior.
The French Ski Federation held its annual congress in June 2018 in Grenoble and included a visit to the Grenoble 1968 Expo in its programme.
VERCORS – Lans en Vercors, Autrans, Méaudre – 6 Feb – French Championships of Adapted Sports: the COLJOG was present at these championships in the form of a Shuss keyring, which was given to all participating athletes.
SEYSSINS Trail des 3 pucelles – 29 April: the organisers asked the COLJOG make a cultural and historic contribution to the run which passes through a number of legacy sites, including the Olympic ski jump. In the village where the race began, the COLJOG set up a stand featuring an exhibition on the story of the Games in Grenoble and showed its “Generation Games” film, produced in partnership with the Musée Dauphinois and funded by the Department of Isère.
GRENOBLE – 7 Apr – French Ski Federation National Congress: the FFS held its national congress in Grenoble on 1-2 June 2018. This big event included a presentation on the 1968 Winter Games, with an exhibition and numerous individual meetings for all the congress participants, including athletes. The congress helped promote the COLJOG (exhibition, event in the Park, invitations, etc.).
SPORT
CHAMROUSSE, 23.01.18
The resort held the “Race of legends”: a parallel slalom, in which Olympic champions and medallists competed against personalities from the worlds of culture, sport and politics! The programme also included a sound and light show illustrating the history of the resort. This was broadcast using a ski slope as a giant screen.
AUTRANS, 6 Feb.
This 50th anniversary coincided with the 40th anniversary of the “foulée blanche” race!
The COLJOG was represented by its mascot “SHUSS” in the children’s event: “The Little Shuss Race”.
GRENOBLE, 6 Feb.
The Light race was organised by the City of Grenoble and open to the general public. 5,000 people ran a five-kilometre race which passed through Grenoble’s iconic Olympic sites, dressed and made-up in bright and fluorescent colours!!
CULTURE
GRENOBLE – Musée Dauphinois – 6.02.18-7.02.19 – Exhibition: 1968, The Games that Shaped the City of Grenoble and Isère.
GRENOBLE – Maison de l’International – 5.02-5.04.18 – Photo portrait exhibition by Bernard Meric paying tribute to the men and women from North African, Italian, and Spanish communities whose hard labour contributed to the development and transformation of the city of Grenoble and Isère, and thus to the success of the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble.
SAINT MARTIN D’URIAGE – Centre Culturel Le Belvédère – 3.02-25.02.18 – Exhibition:
In 1968, the Olympic resort of Chamrousse witnessed the exploits of the French ski team, Fifty years later, the commune of St Martin d’Uriage, with the help of the COLJOG staged this exhibition as a way to relive the atmosphere and excitement of this Olympic venue.
GRENOBLE – Palais des Sports – 10-12.11.17 – Book Fair on Alpine literature
GRENOBLE – Cinéma Pathé Chavant – 6.02.18 – COLJOG’s documentary film “Generation Games”.
AUTRANS – 6.12-10.12.17 – International Mountain Film Festival
UNIVERSITY CAMPUS – 12.02-17.02.18 –
Conferences and workshops, PyeongChang fan zone, sport challenges, in collaboration with the University of Grenoble-Alpes and Labex- ITEM (Social change and Innovation in Mountain Territories)
URBAN RENOVATION
Urban modernisation is a hallmark of the 1968 Grenoble OG.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Malherbe Maison de Quartier, the Main Press Centre for the 1968 Games in Grenoble, staged the opening of a giant fresco illustrating the Olympic history of Grenoble. Ideally located opposite the MC2, (Maison de la culture, also built for the Games), this fresco was created with the support and funding of social landlord GRENOBLE HABITAT, the local residents’ association. This monumental work will remain visible for decades to come.
GRENOBLE – February 2018: To mark the 50th anniversary of the Games in Grenoble, the USEP Isère continued the educational work done by the COLJOG in 2013 in partnership with the TAG (Transport Agglomération Grenobloise) – SMTC. The primary aim was to use digital communication (such as QR codes) to tell schoolchildren about the history of the Games in Grenoble through its architectural legacy viewable on tram route A, and follows the “ Voie Triomphale” which serves the Mistral Olympic Park.
USE OF OLYMPIC SYMBOLS & BRAND
For all celebrations, the logo of the 1968 Olympic Games was deployed on posters and communication media. A mention of the 50th anniversary was added to the initial logo.
The cauldron in Grenoble was used again, with the flame reignited for the celebrations.
CHAMROUSSE – 23 January
Inauguration of the Place Henri Duhamel and the new site for the Olympic cauldron.
More information
The full case is available in printable version on the members’ portal.
In addition to the above description, the PDF version also gathers practical information including internal and external partners involved; finance and cost; use of the olympic brand; human resources and time; and contact details.
The World Union of Olympic Cities’ team remains at your disposal for any further information and contact’s facilitation at info@olympiccities.org
Additional resources can be found through the following links:
Interview with Olivier Cogne, Director, Musée Dauphinois, Grenoble
