With four European Cups to his name, nine French Championship titles and 160 international caps, Dacoury is one of his country's most successful athletes and a symbol of French basketball.

The former Limoges Club star said: "The Olympic and Paralympic Games are synonymous with sporting excellence and reaching new heights.

"They are a unique event in an athlete's life, and require perfect preparation in order to achieve the right conditions for top flight competition.

"Involving athletes and former champions at the very heart of the bid, working hand in hand with the technical experts, is in my opinion a major asset.

"Their combined experience will ensure that optimum conditions are provided for the athletes to best display their talent."

Florence Masnada, double Olympic medallist in Alpine skiing and Annecy 2018's ambassador to the sporting world, said: "Richard Dacoury is a great French Champion of global stature.

"Coming from a team sport, his support is symbolic of the involvement of a vast range of French athletes, from all sporting disciplines - a real collective effort behind the Annecy 2018 bid.

"Sport is second nature in France and the whole of the French sporting community is fully behind the French bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018."

There are less than three months to go before the Annecy 2018 bid book is submitted to the IOC, on January 11, 2011.


Related stories
November 2010: Handball star Jackson Richardson backs Annecy 2018
October 2010: Regional Government pledge financial support for Annecy 2018
October 2010: Exclusive - Sarkozy will be used when "it is time for him" say Annecy
October 2010: Video stars steal the show as 2018 Olympic bidders present for first time
October 2010: Race for 2018 Olympics enters new lap as bid cities present cases