ATR Exclusive - Munich 2018 Chief Seeks Quick Resolution to Land Dispute

(ATR) Munich 2018 chair Katarina Witt tells Around the Rings she believes the land dispute with farmers that hangs over the bid can be resolved before the IOC Evaluation Commission visit.

"I am always optimistic... at least some kind of a solution and if not then we continue talks and try to come to a compromise," Witt said in an interview in Lausanne after joining bid CEO Bernhard Schwank to hand over Munich's bid dossier to the IOC.

"It really is an issue on the political side. Mr Siegfried Schneider [Bavarian chancellery chief] is involved in talks and he is confident there will be a solution."

Munich's campaign has garnered some negative headlines due to the dispute with 59 Bavarian farmers land owners from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the bid's proposed venue for Alpine skiing, who have so far refused requests to release land for the Games.

Witt, a double Olympic gold medalist in figure skating at the Sarajevo 1984 Olympics and Calgary 1988, claims an amicable solution can be found.

"There has been dialogue, which is very important. But there are always conflicts with a big project like this where you never have 100 percent of people behind what we think is a fantastic idea.

"It is always a winding road to get to the finish line [with Olympic bids]. We just have to deal with it in a respectful manner."

Munich received a lift last week when a deal was struck with one Garmisch-Partenkirchen landowner to use his land to complete the downhill finish area for the FIS Alpine skiing world championships next month. The agreement excludes the Olympics but allows other winter sports events to take place in that area for the next 23 years.

"It was a great sign for us," Witt said, suggesting the landowners could be persuaded to release land for the Olympics.

ATR understands that Munich's 396-page bid book does not offer any alternatives, meaning that if the landowners do not back down the bid must revamp its plan for Alpine skiing.

"It is a big picture we offer and it's one puzzle piece... and one puzzle piece takes a little longer than other pieces coming together," Witt said. "I thinkyou need to look at the overall picture with what we offer, sustainability, event sites and a very compact concept."

The IOC Evaluation Commission led by Gunilla Lindberg will expect to the dispute to be resolved by the time of their visit March 1-4.

She promised that Munich bid officials would leave IOC inspectors with a positive impression.

"The heart of a bid is the event sites and what the athletes will experience. Most of the competition sites are in use, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Koningsee [sliding center], and athletes already know they are in good shape. They [the IOC commission] will see the event sites infrastructure and our offer for sustainability and other issues," she said.

"It is important we are well prepared and can answer all the questions."

Munich's bid book submission means all three candidates vying for the 2018 Games presented their bid documents by the IOC's Tuesday deadline. Annecy and Pyeongchang handed theirs in on Monday.

"We can be quite proud of what we delivered in the bid book today. There is so much life and content in there that we want to bring alive within the next months," Witt told ATR.

Witt also spoke about the importance of the IOC's 2018 Bid Cities Briefing scheduled for May 18 and 19.

"It is a very important and a very big moment for all the bid cities, presenting in Lausanne," she said.

"For Rio 2016 [at the first-ever briefing in 2009], it seemed it very much helped the IOC members as they cannot come and visit. For them it is a very close look and there are question and answer possibilities."

The Munich 2018 bid file will be made public when it is posted on the bid website - www.muenchen2018.org - on Wednesday.

Withreporting from Mark Bisson

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