POSTED: Tuesday March 1st 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MUNICH 2018 OUTLINES VISION TO IOC EVALUATION COMMISSION

Evaluation Commission gets down to business with first Munich 2018 presentations

Munich, 1 March 2011: The IOC Evaluation Commission visit to Munich began in earnest this morning, as Munich 2018 Chair, Katarina Witt, led a powerful Bid Committee team, including Lord Mayor of Munich, Christian Ude, in outlining the vision and concept behind Munich 2018’s proposed Festival of Friendship for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Munich 2018’s team for the opening morning also included Siegfried Schneider, Minister of State and Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, Thomas Bach, President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, and Bernhard Schwank, CEO of the Munich 2018 Bid Committee.

Christian Ude took to the podium carrying the ceremonial mallet he uses to open the first beer cask at Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest. The event, which attracts six million visitors every year, typifies Munich’s hospitality and cultural diversity, and these unique traits formed the crux of his speech. Christian Ude went on to outline the positive impact of the 1972 Summer Games on the city, whilst emphasising how the Winter Games in 2018 would bring renewed sustainable sporting, economic and social development for Munich and Bavaria.

Lord Mayor Ude said:

‘Munich is a world-class city with a ‘laptops and lederhosen’ personality! The 1972 Games infrastructure is still part of the fabric of the city and the Olympic Park and its facilities have been incredibly popular for 40 years. But now we have the chance to write a unique chapter in sustainability: the conversion of Summer Olympic venues into Winter Games venues. Our plans would ensure the expansion and modernisation of the Olympic Park and another 40 years of sustainable use. This would deliver an unprecedented 80 years of sustainable Olympic legacy and deliver a great asset to the sporting and cultural life of the city of Munich and the entire Olympic Movement.'

In his presentation, Siegfried Schneider highlighted the opportunities that the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018 hold for the entire Bavarian Alpine region. He said:

‘A Winter Games in Bavaria would not only strengthen and rejuvenate the connection between Munich and the foothills of the Alps, but would transform the entire Alpine region into an innovative economic power house.’

In his presentation, Thomas Bach highlighted the country’s hope that the most successful nation in Olympic winter sports could have the honour of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games after what will have been, by 2018, an 80-year wait.

‘In Germany, we have a rich culture of winter sports and one of the world’s most passionate audiences. We can provide an unparalleled platform for reinvigorating the winter sports movement worldwide and inspiring a new generation of young athletes.

‘We also want to open up Germany’s Olympic training centres to athletes from all National Olympic Committees of the world - winter and summer. Summer athletes from non-winter sports NOCs will be able to train in elite-level facilities alongside winter athletes. Sharing our resources and strengthening the Olympic Movement is a 30-year tradition for Germany. Our DOSB programme of international sport development, alongside our Foreign Office, has supported more than 150 NOCs and reached more than 100,000 athletes from all over the world - irrespective of any Olympic Bid.’

Katarina Witt gave an insight into Munich 2018’s athlete-friendly concept:

‘Our vision for a Festival of Friendship spreads the very essence and power of the Olympic Movement locally, nationally and internationally. The focus on the needs of athletes is so important to everyone at Munich 2018. Over the last few weeks, Bavaria has hosted several international winter sports events. They have highlighted how passionate sports audiences create an atmosphere that makes competing in Germany an unforgettable experience for every athlete. Our fans’ unique love and understanding of sport inspires every athlete to perform at their best, so Munich 2018 will leave everyone with lifelong Olympic memories.’

German skiing legends, Christian Neureuther and Rosi Mittermaier-Neureuther, gave the IOC Evaluation Commission a heartfelt testimony on how the needs of the athletes lie at the core of Munich’s bid. As residents of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, they also emphasised the incredible support for the 2018 Winter Games in their hometown - the proposed venue of the Munich 2018 Snow Park.

Bernhard Schwank presented the Munich 2018 sports plan and its ultra-compact ‘Two Park, Two Village’ concept. All ice sports will take place in the Ice Park in Munich, with Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s Snow Park staging the snow events. Completing the concept is the sliding centre at Königssee. Schwank said:

‘The Munich 2018 concept is based on a compact plan with a sustainable Olympic legacy. The special thing about our two-park concept is the short travel time between the accommodation, the competition and training venues and the diverse offerings of Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Thirteen of the fifteen venues can be reached from the Athlete Villages, bubble-to-bubble, within five minutes.

‘Sustainability is of paramount importance to us. 74% of our proposed venues for the 2018 Games in Bavaria exist today. 22% of the proposed venues would be temporary and just 4% will be newly-built permanent venues. This includes the long-awaited hockey rink in Munich where the subsequent use by EHC München is assured.’

Munich 2018 also had the opportunity to present their trailblazing Paralympic concept. The Bid Committee’s unified Olympic and Paralympic planning process will create an inclusive Festival of Friendship to be shared and enjoyed by everyone.

Friedhelm Beucher, President of the German Paralympic Association, highlighted the long history of Paralympic sport in Germany. He told the IOC Evaluation Commission members: ‘Our vision for the Paralympic Winter Games in 2018 is to raise awareness of accessibility, to break down social barriers and to provide new role models - in Germany, and far beyond our borders.’

Beucher emphasised that Munich 2018 will provide the best conditions for creating a sustainable Paralympic legacy in the field of accessibility and social cohesion.

Steffi Klein, Director of Sports at Munich 2018, highlighted more of the detail for the Paralympic Winter Games in 2018. The opening ceremony would take place in front of 70,000 people in Munich's Olympic Stadium - the largest live audience in Paralympic history. She said:

‘We have always attached great importance to ensuring that all planning takes into account the needs of Paralympic sports and their athletes. All competition and non-competition venues, transport and accommodation facilities are barrier-free. Thus, we can guarantee perfect conditions for athletes, media, spectators and the entire Paralympic family.’

With twelve Paralympic gold medals, Verena Bentele is one of the most successful Paralympic Winter sport athletes ever. Verena told the Commission members that, thanks to consistent consultation with top-class athletes, a Paralympic Games in Munich would give the International Paralympic Committee an excellent platform for spreading the Paralympic values - courage, determination, inspiration and equality - around the world. Verena gave an emotive speech on the unique fascination for Paralympic sport in Germany:

‘In Germany, winter sports fans don’t care whether an athlete has a disability or not. What matters to them is seeing an athlete striving to achieve something special. From personal experience, I can tell you that the fans here celebrate their Paralympic heroes just as passionately as their Olympic heroes.

‘Facilities for athletes with a disability are improving all over the world. But Bavaria still offers an atmosphere you just don’t find anywhere else. That’s why all my colleagues on the circuit, whatever their nationally, love to compete here. When it comes to inspiration and motivation, nothing compares to a stadium full of passionate, knowledgeable fans for driving you forward.’

This afternoon’s sessions will focus primarily on Munich 2018’s compelling green credentials, with presentations of the Olympic Village, Accommodation, Transport and Environment set to focus on the sustainable use of existing facilities and ground-breaking eco-friendly innovations.

Background
Munich, in collaboration with Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Berchtesgadener Land, is applying to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The application will be put together and managed by Bewerbungsgesellschaft München 2018 GmbH, with Karatina Witt as Chair, Bernhard Schwank as CEO and Jürgen Bühl as Managing Director. Shareholders in the application organisation are the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) with 51 per cent, the City of Munich (30 per cent), the Free State of Bavaria (nine per cent), the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (eight per cent) and the district of Berchtesgadener Land (two per cent). The bid is being supported by national sponsors Adidas, Allianz, the BMW Group, BayWa, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Post, Flughafen München GmbH, Lotto Bayern, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, METRO GROUP, and the Sparkasse Finance Group, along with national suppliers ARGE (Albert Speer & Partner and PROPROJEKT), Deloitte, Getty Images, GfK Verein, IMMO 2018, Messe München GmbH, Norton Rose LLP, Munich Olympic Park, pilot sport and Stadtwerke München GmbH. More information about the concept, the progress of the application and many other aspects can be found at http://www.muenchen2018.org.

Bewerbungsgesellschaft München 2018 GmbH
Munich 2018 Bid Committee
Olympiapark München
Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21
80809 München

Responsible for contents:
Bernhard Schwank and Jürgen Bühl

Press Contact:
Simone Seefried
Agnes-Pockels-Bogen 1
80992 München
Telephone: +49 89 540428-313

Mobile: +49 176 840 532 26
E-Mail: presse@muenchen2018.org

Online Press Area:
http://www.muenchen2018.org/en/press

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Keywords · Munich 2018 · Christian Ude · The Lord Mayor of Munich · Siegfried Schneider · Minister of State and Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery · Thomas Bach · Bernhard Schwank · Katarina Witt

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Name: Simone Seefried
Organization: Munich 2018 Bid Committee
Email:
Phone: 4989540428317
URL: http://www.muenchen2018.org

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