MUNICH 2018 MARKS 100 DAYS TO DURBAN – Bid Committee celebrates landmark with unique new recruit

Munich: Munich 2018 today began counting down the final 100 days before the IOC elects the host city for the 2018 Winter Games, joined by a very special addition to the team: Giovanna the polar bear has become Munich 2018's newest official ambassador

Giovanna is the star attraction at Munich's popular Hellabrunn Zoo, loved by keepers and patrons alike for her warm, friendly temperament. Two large banners with the polar bear proudly sporting her Munich 2018 scarf will promote the bid to up to 17,000 daily zoo-goers. The enthusiasm which greeted Giovanna's appointment at yesterday's Munich 2018 event at the zoo is further evidence that, as it surges past its latest milestone, the bid's popular support is growing all the time.

Managing Director of the Munich 2018 Bid Committee, Jürgen Bühl, was thrilled to be entering the campaign's final push:

‘The final 100-day countdown has started. Having such a successful IOC Evaluation Commission visit pushed our bid forward. We are entering the home straight and we want to cross the finishing line in first place. We are now preparing for the next important milestones: SportAccord from 3 to 8 April; and the technical presentation to the IOC in Lausanne in May. It is very important for us to use the international presentations to communicate our strengths to the world of sport's most influential players and share with them our vision of a holistic Festival of Friendship.'

Munich 2018 also announced plans for decision day in the Bavarian capital. The announcement from IOC President Jacques Rogge will be broadcast live onto a huge screen on Munich's historic Marienplatz. The home of the biggest party in the world – Oktoberfest – will certainly stage some memorable celebrations should Munich be given the honour of hosting the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Bernhard Schwank, CEO of Munich 2018, was enthusiastic about the impact of his newest colleague:

‘Hellabrunn Zoo is Munich's most popular attraction for animal lovers of all ages and we are pleased to have them supporting our bid. In this unique environment we can convey our Festival of Friendship vision and inspire an even wider audience with our dream for 2018.'

Having just delivered two compelling presentations to AIPS in Seoul and ONOC in New Caledonia, the Bid Committee is preparing for the next vital stop on its calendar – the SportAccord Convention in London from 3 to 8 April.

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 Katarina 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 www.muenchen2018.org.