MUNICH 2018 – \’THE RIGHT MOMENT FOR MUNICH\‘ – Munich 2018 team highlights legacy potential to Olympic family at SportAccord

London: In today's impassioned presentation to delegates, international media and the Olympic family at the SportAccord Convention in London, the Munich 2018 Bid Committee reiterated its promise to build and strengthen the entire Olympic Movement through committed corporate support, a deep understanding of athletes' needs and a rich sporting heritage.

All the key figures in the Bavarian capital's bid took to the stage in this latest crucial campaign milestone. Munich 2018 Chair Katarina Witt opened, before handing over to the Lord Mayor of Munich, Christian Ude. Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior, Hans-Peter Friedrich, Head of Sales and Marketing at BMW, Ian Robertson, and Munich 2018 CEO, Bernhard Schwank, then followed. After another personal insight into the paramount importanc e of the athlete experience in the Munich 2018 concept from Katarina Witt, DOSB President Thomas Bach brought the presentation to a climax with a powerful pledge:

‘This is the right moment for Munich. Munich 2018 would empower the Olympic Movement to meet the challenges we all face: the challenge of proving it is possible to host a sustainable Winter Games; the challenge of reaching young people and inspiring them to take up sport; and the challenge of strengthening the Olympic brand – not just for one market, but for all sport and the entire Olympic family. That's the kind of legacy we want to leave through Munich 2018.'

Two-time Olympic champion, Katarina Witt, gave Munich 2018's ambitious vision an authentic athlete's voice. Munich 2018's uniquely athlete friendly concept has been designed in close consultation with all 125 Munich 2018 sports ambassadors and Witt was eager to underline that this is a bid designed by athletes, for athletes:

‘I came back to the Olympic Movement to help Munich create a plan that delivers the ultimate athlete experience. When you choose a host city for the Olympic Games, it is about more than just geography. It is a choice about the kind of experience the athletes of the future should have. In Munich 2018, every Olympian and Paralympian will have just what they deserve: the greatest experience of their lives, because the atmosphere will be everything they have ever dreamed of.'

Katarina's speech was reinforced by footage filmed at February's FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, featuring world-famous winter sports icons, including Lindsay Vonn, Erik Guay and Julia Mancuso expressing their love of competing in Bavaria. Vonn spoke for many of the athletes who competed at the World Championships when she said, ‘I really hope that Munich and Garmisch get the Olympics.'

Ian Robertson outlined why winter sports in Germ any is such an attractive commercial prospect:

‘The greatest measure of success at the Olympics is full stadia. It's success for the athletes because it's what they have dreamed of. It's success for the sponsors because it's what they were hoping for. I can confidently say that Munich 2018 is uniquely positioned to deliver that success for you, your sports and all of your sponsors.'

Hans-Peter Friedrich spoke emphatically about the complete backing Munich 2018 enjoys from every level of government in Germany:

‘Every level of government in Germany stands united in our full backing for Munich 2018. Our Head of State, President Christian Wulff, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the Federal government support the bid 100 percent. Parliament, our major political parties, and the Free State of Bavaria, have made Munich 2018 a national and regional priority.'

Christian Ude focused on Munich 2018's mission to extend its 40-year Ol ympic legacy another 40 years:

‘Since 1972, the Park and its Olympic venues have hosted more than 10,000 events, They have attracted more than 500 million people over the last 40 years. Many have called it the greatest single story of legacy and sustainability in modern Olympic history. And yet it offers an even better story for the future. By becoming the first city in history to transform Olympic summer venues into showcases for the Winter Games, Munich and the Olympic Movement have an opportunity to extend that legacy of sustainability, from 40 to 80 years.'

The Mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Thomas Schmid, and the DOSB Secretary General, Michael Vesper, are also in London for SportAccord and helping to communicate Munich 2018's vision for a global Festival of Friendship.

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, Lo tto 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.