Twice Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt became the international face of the Munich 2018 Winter Olympic bid on Monday after bid chief Willy Bogner resigned due to illness, officials said on Monday.
|Last Updated: Sep 06, 2010, 10:32 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Berlin: Twice Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt became the international face of the Munich 2018 Winter Olympic bid on Monday after bid chief Willy Bogner resigned due to illness, officials said on Monday.
Witt will be in charge of presenting the Bavarian city’s bid until the International Olympic Committee (IOC) picks the winner in July next year, the bid committee said.
Munich, hoping to become the first city to stage Summer and Winter Games, is competing with France’s Annecy and South Korea’s Pyeongchang for the 2018 Olympics. Munich hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Bogner revealed last week he was suffering from an unspecified “serious” intestinal illness that could require surgery.
“I wish Willy Bogner a quick recovery,” said Witt, who won gold at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics for what was then East Germany.
“My discussions with IOC members have shown that we are well positioned but a lot still needs to be done,” said Witt, who as a member of the bid’s board of trustees had on several occasions publicly been at odds with Bogner over issues relating to the bid.
Bernhard Schwank will take over from Bogner as CEO.
“My illness is more serious than initially thought,” said Bogner, a former Olympic skier and successful fashion designer. “The doctors have advised against long trips.”
Bogner’s resignation is the latest in a series of problems that have plagued the bid in recent months.
Land owners in nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen are refusing to offer their land for Olympic use and officials have been forced to negotiate for the use of NATO-controlled territory, including a golf course, in the area to solve their problems.
Anti-Olympic campaigners have also said they had received death threats for their opposition to the Games in Munich and Garmisch.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.