POSTED: November 19th 2010
InDepth
Witt confident that Munich 2018 is coming up with all the right answers
KEIR RADNEDGE / Sports Features Communications
LONDON: If any Olympic bid for winter or summer Games claimed to have 100pc local support the claim would be derided. For all the popularity of sport there are always specific-interest concerns – and that has been as true of the Munich 2018 winter bid as for any other. However bid chair Katarina Witt is confident that the most contentious local issue for the Bavarians is on the way to resolution . . . as she told SportsFeatures.com.
The problem which grabbed most media attention in Munich concerned landowners in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Has it been fully resolved?
Most of it, I think. More than 80pc of people are all in favour of the Olympic project but, last summer, a minority voice gained big coverage in the media about some disagreement. In some ways they were right because discussions had not been undertaken at the right level.
It wasn’t a bad reminder for us in the bid that we cannot think that securing the Olympics means everyone, automatically, will make it work. We needed to get people who owned some of the land onside. Now the communication channels are open and there is a constant dialogue. Luckily the good presentation we put on in Acapulco helped us a lot with the German media because they are as difficult as the English media.
Munich is considered a summer Games venue because of 1972. How can it also justify being a winter host?
Vancouver was a great example: this was also a big city which hosted all the ice competitions but there was also Whistler fro all the snow events. It worked well because the city was able to host the world. You had the feeling that all of Vancouver was involved.
There was a big celebration and you had a life as well – concerts and restaurants for all the guests which meant there was something else to do as well as watch great sporting competition.
I think this worked well: the flair of the big city plus the absolute Olympic fairytale. Munich and Garmisch could combine all that.
In Munich we would have all the skating events with the Olympic village partly walking distance to the competition plus the world can enjoy the art, concerts, restaurants and shopping. In Garmisch, we would have the fairytale feeling of the mountains and the great tradition of a place which has had so much experience of putting on events.
Are you worried about a backlash from the political complications of any European nations which may have an interest in hosting the next Games in 2020 and 2022?
Of course, we have to be aware of everything. But I think that the people going for 2020 or 2022, summer or winter, move within their own circles. We just have to focus on our own bid - and we know we have such great assets in the strength of our winter homeland, in the excitement and our experience and everything else.
We have to concentrate on giving our very best and then, on July 6, cross our fingers, and hope that the decision will be made for the offer which is best for the athletes and for the Olympic movement and for the Olympic family.
Keywords · Munich · 2018 winter Olympics · Witt
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