Munich 2018 bid faces referendum hurdle in Garmisch

By Klaus Bergmann and Christian Kunz May 6, 2011, 2:16 GMT

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany - Munich's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics faces a final hurdle before the deciding vote when locals at the proposed ski venue of Garmisch-Partenkirchen go to the polls on Sunday over whether they want the Games or not.

Almost 21,000 residents are eligible to cast their ballot in two referendums, one by Olympic opponents (NOlympia) and those in favour of the big event (OlympJa, translating into OlympYES).

Munich is bidding for the 2018 Games along with South Korea's Pyeongchang and the French resort of Annecy. The International Olympic Committee elects the host city in a secret ballot on July 6 in Durban, South Africa.

Munich pledges to hold the ski events of the Games in Garmisch and an athletes' village is planned there as well. Both have seen Olympics before as the 1936 Winter Games were held in Garmisch and the 1972 summer edition in Munich.

The build-up has seen opposition in Garmisch, with a group of local landowners resisting handing over their property for the Games.

Others say that the resort at the foot of Germany's highest peak, the 2,926-metres Zugspitze, is simply too small with a population of 30,000 to stage an event of this magnitude. There is also concern over the financial risk.

'I expect us to get 52 per cent,' said Peter Doering, one of the initiators of the NOlympia movement.

Doering said that 52 per cent would be a victory for his side but that a similar majority for Olympic supporters would feel rather like defeat because popular opinion is important for the IOC.

However, Olympic supporters hope to get the nod by a big margin.

'You can justly say that the population of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is behind the Games if a clear majority of 60 to 70 per cent is reached,' said Peter Fischer, who leader of the OlympJa movement.

Supporters argue with badly needed infrastructure improvements in the region, saying Olympics will have a general positive effect.

Thomas Bach, the president of the German Olympic Committee and IOC vice-president, is also upbeat.

'I believe in a convincing majority in favour of the Olympic Games and the Paralympics,' Bach said.

While the state government of Bavaria has said it will respect the popular vote, a rejection would nonetheless not end Munich's bid - even though it would come at a bad time for the bidders.

The important report by the IOC evaluation committee is published next week and all three bidders will be at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on May 18 and 19 for the technical briefing before IOC members.

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