Katarina Witt hopes that IOC picks German efficiency and tradition

By John Bagratuni Feb 19, 2011, 17:49 GMT

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany - Munich 2018 bid chairwoman Katarina Witt on Saturday expressed her hope that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will pick German winter sport efficiency and tradition when it elects the host city later this year.

Witt told reporters at the alpine skiing world championships that this event, as well as the ongoing bob, luge and skeleton worlds in Koenigssee and the upcoming speed skating worlds in Inzell proved the nation's standing at the forefront of winter sport.

'German hearts beat for winter sport,' the two-times figure skating gold medallist Witt said.

'We are able to put on these events. The events are organized well and Germans are enthusiastic fans for all athletes. We have proven this many times.'

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the planned place for snow sport and Koeniggssee for the sliding events, but Witt agreed with other officials that the current worlds at the two locations can not be more than 'a show factor.'

The IOC will elect the 2018 host from Munich, Pyeongchang (South Korea) and Annecy (France) on July 6 in Durban.

Witt said she hoped the IOC would chose tradition this time around after entering uncharted waters by giving Sochi the 2014 Winter Games and Rio de Janeiro the 2016 summer edition.

'It is a matter between a new horizon or to water the roots,' she said.

'It is a challenge in Europe to keep big events,' she said in reference to rising markets such as Asia in many sports. 'You need local heroes to keep the sports going.'

An IOC evaluation commission will visit the German venues March 1- 4 and Witt said that the bid team is getting ready for it.

She said Olympic inspectors will probably also seek a meeting with Olympic opponents in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Some 60 farmers and landowners are not ready to make their land available for the Games and there is also a certain degree of general scepticism there.

Witt said she hoped for a compromise in the land issue but also said that a general German tendency towards criticism was also not always helping the Olympic cause.

'We have a tendency to judge things too much,' Witt said.

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