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Annecy, Munich, Pyeongchang pitch for 2018 Games
Source: Agencies |
October 22, 2010, Friday
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THE race to stage the 2018 Winter Olympics began in earnest when bid cities Munich, South Korea's Pyeongchang and France's Annecy made their first official pitches at a meeting of Olympic associations yesterday.
Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt fronted Munich's bid, highlighting modern transport links.
Annecy followed, pledging a compact bid and featuring a video message of support from France first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
Last up, Pyeongchang promised to create a new market for winter sports among a billion Asians.
Pyeongchang was considered an early favorite to stage the games after unsuccessful bids for the last two Winter Olympics.
Despite losing to Vancouver for the 2010 games and Sochi, Russia, in the 2014 vote, the expertise gained by the South Korean team was expected to be an advantage.
Munich's bid hit problems with Bavarian farmers unhappy about giving up land to be used during the games, though organizers said after the meeting that those issues were under control.
Witt, who chairs the Munich team, announced the bid's official slogan was "Festival of Friendship" at the Acapulco meeting.
"This will be one of the most vibrant and celebratory atmospheres in the history of winter sports," Witt said.
"It's our dream to welcome you to Munich 2018, into a world that celebrates winter sports very passionately," she said during the presentation. "Our goal is to create a festival of friendship for the Winter Games that sparks as much magic outside the stadium as it does on the field of play."
Munich's bid featured a video message of support from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said the games would offer "an unforgettably wonderful experience."
After the presentations, Witt said problems with landowners had been solved by making the Olympic village slightly smaller, but said the complex would still have as much space for athletes as they had at this year's Vancouver Games.
"I'm really excited that we had the first presentation here today because, after talking about it for so many months, we finally had a chance to see and prove with the pictures and the film what our assets are," she said.
Witt said a "really good negotiation" had taken place with the farmers to agree to using less space and return ground back in the state it was found.
"You will never have a 100 percent agreement, there will always be people with a different point of view, but it's important to discuss and talk things through," she said. "We are bidding for the Olympics - everybody should be for that."
French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a former model, lent a touch of glamor to the Annecy bid.
Sitting in an armchair and wearing a light blue, low-cut V-neck blouse, Bruni-Sarkozy confirmed the French government's backing in a short video and said it would be an "honor" to stage the games.
Jean-Pierre Vidal, the 2002 Olympic slalom champion backing Annecy, said that early criticism about venues being too far apart had been overcome.
Cho Yang-ho, the chief executive of Korean Air who is leading Pyeongchang's bid, said the South Korean venue had "learnt many lessons" from its previous unsuccessful bids.
Two-time Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt fronted Munich's bid, highlighting modern transport links.
Annecy followed, pledging a compact bid and featuring a video message of support from France first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
Last up, Pyeongchang promised to create a new market for winter sports among a billion Asians.
Pyeongchang was considered an early favorite to stage the games after unsuccessful bids for the last two Winter Olympics.
Despite losing to Vancouver for the 2010 games and Sochi, Russia, in the 2014 vote, the expertise gained by the South Korean team was expected to be an advantage.
Munich's bid hit problems with Bavarian farmers unhappy about giving up land to be used during the games, though organizers said after the meeting that those issues were under control.
Witt, who chairs the Munich team, announced the bid's official slogan was "Festival of Friendship" at the Acapulco meeting.
"This will be one of the most vibrant and celebratory atmospheres in the history of winter sports," Witt said.
"It's our dream to welcome you to Munich 2018, into a world that celebrates winter sports very passionately," she said during the presentation. "Our goal is to create a festival of friendship for the Winter Games that sparks as much magic outside the stadium as it does on the field of play."
Munich's bid featured a video message of support from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said the games would offer "an unforgettably wonderful experience."
After the presentations, Witt said problems with landowners had been solved by making the Olympic village slightly smaller, but said the complex would still have as much space for athletes as they had at this year's Vancouver Games.
"I'm really excited that we had the first presentation here today because, after talking about it for so many months, we finally had a chance to see and prove with the pictures and the film what our assets are," she said.
Witt said a "really good negotiation" had taken place with the farmers to agree to using less space and return ground back in the state it was found.
"You will never have a 100 percent agreement, there will always be people with a different point of view, but it's important to discuss and talk things through," she said. "We are bidding for the Olympics - everybody should be for that."
French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a former model, lent a touch of glamor to the Annecy bid.
Sitting in an armchair and wearing a light blue, low-cut V-neck blouse, Bruni-Sarkozy confirmed the French government's backing in a short video and said it would be an "honor" to stage the games.
Jean-Pierre Vidal, the 2002 Olympic slalom champion backing Annecy, said that early criticism about venues being too far apart had been overcome.
Cho Yang-ho, the chief executive of Korean Air who is leading Pyeongchang's bid, said the South Korean venue had "learnt many lessons" from its previous unsuccessful bids.
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