Winter Olympic venues confirmed with events in two countries

The sporting venues for the 2030 Winter Games have been confirmed, with events to be held in Lyon and the French Alps - except speed skating, which will take place in the Netherlands.

Events will take place at 11 competition venues, external primarily across southern France with the location allocation for ice sports and alpine skiing confirmed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)on Wednesday.

Lyon will host curling, figure skating and short track speed skating across three sites, including Parc Olympique Lyonnais, the home of the Ligue 1 side.

Courchevel will host the Alpine skiing speed events – the downhill and super-G, including team events – while Val d'Isere stages the slalom events.

The announcement finalises the venues after a turbulent few months for 2030 Games organisers, which included several changes to original plans.

In May, they were forced to move the Games' 'ice sports hub' to Lyon from Nice after the south coast city's mayor, Eric Ciotti, refused to allow Nice's football stadium to be converted into a temporary ice rink.

And last month, Edgar Grospiron left his position as president of the organising committee just 18 months after his appointment following a turbulent reign amid budget cuts for the Games.

It was also confirmed in May that the long track speed skating events will take place at the Thialf arena in Heerenveen, The Netherlands.

Holding the speed skating in a pre-existing arena outside France was a condition agreed with the IOC when French Alps were awarded the Games in order to reduce costs, as organisers do not want to build new venues that would not have a definite legacy in the host region.

It is the first time that an Olympic event - summer or winter - will be held in a different independent nation to the host city or region.

There will be 16 different sporting disciplines, external at French Alps 2030, with freeride skiing and snowboarding, plus synchro9 - synchronised figure skating - added to the Winter Olympics for the first time.

However the 2030 Games will be the first not to feature nordic combined after the sport was removed from the programme.