IOC lauds strong Munich bid 2018 Winter Olympics

By Sven Busch Mar 4, 2011, 17:29 GMT

Munich - Munich has a strong bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, an International Olympic Committee evaluation team said on Friday at the end of a five-day inspection tour.

'It is a very strong bid with strong government support and an outstanding bid team,' said Gunilla Lindberg of Sweden, who headed the 11-strong IOC delegation.

Lindberg named Germany 'a strong winter sport nation' and said the commission had 'felt the big enthusiasm' during the visit to the proposed venues and at meetings with sports officials and leading politicians.

Munich hosted the 1972 Summer Games and would be the first city to stage the winter event as well if it is elected on July 6 by the IOC over Pyeongchang of South Korea and France's Annecy.

'All three cities are capable of hosting the games,' said Lindberg. 'But we are not making comparisons here.'

Munich was the last stop of the evaluation commission which is set to release its report on May 10. While not putting the bidders in a certain order, it is rated an important technical assessment to help IOC members make their voting decision on July 6 in Durban.

'The chemistry worked,' said German Olympic supremo and IOC vive-president Thomas Bach of the atmosphere between the Olympians and the German bidders.

Bid chairwoman Katarina Witt, the former figure skating star, said: 'I can only hope that we impressed the commission.'

Chancellor Angela Merkel led Germany's political top brass at a reception for the IOC commission on Thursday night, flying in straight from a government reshuffling in Berlin.

'We have every chance, after the summer fairy tale we have with the (2006 football) World Cup to now have a winter fairy tale,' Merkel said. 'I think the world would be overjoyed if we got to host the Games.'

New Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, appointed only on Thursday and with sport as part of his portfolio, on Friday spoke of a 'very, very good meeting' and along with Merkel ensured the IOC commission of the full political support for the bid.

'Germany is ready for the Winter Games. The IOC should know by now that we are a reliable partner with a stable economy, which protects IOC brand rights and recognizes the World Anti-Doping Agency,' Friedrich said.

The IOC team toured the venues during its five-day visit, with ice sports due to take place in Munich, ski events in the 1936 Winter Games host Garmisch-Partenkirchen and sliding at Koenigssee.

Several 1972 venues would be used again if Munich lands the Games, including the Olympic stadium, for the opening and closing ceremony.

The IOC delegation also met with opponents of the Games, who are mostly from Garmisch and apart from environmental concerns rate the Bavarian Alps resort too small to host an event of such magnitude. A group of Garmisch farmers are refusing to give up land for events.

Olympic opponents are seeking a local referendum to stop the Games, but surveys indicate that a vast majority in Germany are in favour of having the Olympics.

Each bidder will now appear at international sports conferences and at a technical briefing may 17-19 at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne.

The bid process ends with a final presentation of each candidate before the IOC Session on election day.

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