IOC Team Takes Break, Witt Says Munich Ready to be Next

IOC 2018 Commission Takes Break

After more than two weeks on the road, the IOC Evaluation Commission for the 2018 Winter Olympics has the week off before traveling to Munich, the third and final stop, March 1 to 4.

Chair Gunilla Lindberg and her 10 colleagues began their journey in early February at IOC headquarters before heading to Annecy from Feb. 8 to 12, then to PyeongChang last week. The commission members flew home Sunday and Monday from Seoul.

The commission members come from seven countries: Australia, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada and the U.S., which has four delegates, believed to be a record.

After the visit to Munich, the commission travels to Lausanne, where they will spend several days completing their report, due to be issued May 10.

The IOC votes July 6 on the choice for the 2018 Games.

Witt on Alpine World Champs, Munich as "Winter Mecca"

Katarina Witt tells Around the Rings the just-concluded alpine world championships are the latest proof of Bavaria’s standing as a "mecca" for winter sports.

ATR caught up with the Munich 2018 bid chair Saturday on the slopes of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, site of the FIS ski champs as well as the would-be Olympic venue for ski events.

Garmisch also hosted a leg of ski jumping’s annual Four Hills Tournament on New Year’s Day, speed skating has its single distance worlds next month in Inzell and bobsleigh and skeleton are now in the second week of their world championships in Koenigssee, Munich’s proposed sliding venue.

"That shows how much winter sport is celebrated in Germany and down here in Bavaria," Witt said.

"It’s great to see how everything is well-organized, how the atmosphere is working and how athletes are able to really bring in their best performances."

Her comments come as bid leadership prepares for its turn with the IOC Evaluation Commission. The 11-member delegation will begin its tour of Munich on March 1 and departMarch 4, just four months before the IOC host vote in Durban, South Africa.

"The last few months will go by very very quickly," Witt told ATR.

"Annecy and PyeongChang already have the IOC Evaluation Commission behind them, and we are looking forward to that."

Witt said next week’s inspection coupled with the technical presentations scheduled for May in Lausanne will go a long way towards rounding out the race for 2018 but won’t necessarily determine its outcome.

"I’m sure everybody is trying to give their best," she said. "I think it’s a matter of what is the right timing for the right concept."

Should the timing proveright for Munich, the Bavarian capital would be the first city to ever host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, a fact certainly not lost on Witt. She fell short of suggesting this unique aspect of her bid would win her any votes come July but said its success could leave a valuable legacy for other past hosts of the Summer Games.

"I’m sure there are some cities that would love to bid for the Winter Games, but they’re afraid because they think ‘Well, we’re usually a summer city," explained the two-time Olympic figure skating champion.

"We’re lucky here in Munich with how close Garmisch is, so this is definitely a winter mecca well-known for great winter sports but also for great summer events as well."

Written by Ed Hula and Matthew Grayson.