Following the inauguration of the Munich 2018 bid committee Tuesday, German interior minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said, “the whole of Germany is looking forward to 2018 Winter Games in Munich. It has been quite a while since we successfully bid for Olympic Games. We will do everything to make it”.
Munich hosted the 1972 Summer Olympic Games.
In December the German Olympic Committee voted unanimously in favour of a Munich 2018 bid.
If Munich’s bid is successful the snow events would take place in Garmisch, the sliding competition in the existing track in Koeniggssee, and all other ice events would be in Munich.
Mayor Christian Ude said, “Munich has a tradition to get the nod on the first attempt. It is a fantastic perspective for Munich’s future to become the first city in the world to stage the Winter Games after the Summer Games”.
German Olympic head Thomas Bach said there was no plan B should Munich fail in its bid.
Other cities expected to bid for the 2018 Games include PyeongChang South Korea, Tromso Norway, Grenoble France, Geneva Switzerland, and a possible candidate from the United States.
But Bach reportedly said Munich should not look at the other bidders but its own strength. “The message of the 2018 bid is combining a great winter sport tradition with culture, innovative technology, and a legacy”.
