As has become normal at the end of these Evaluation visits, the chair of the Commission Gunilla Lindberg was very measured in her remarks as assessed the group's trip here.

"We have witnessed the strong government support which the bid enjoys, highlighted by the presence of Chancellor Angela Merkel and other members of the Cabinet during the week," said the Swede of Munich's campaign.

"It was a pleasure to meet so many athletes and to see the support from the DOSB (German Olympic Sports Confederation), Germany's IOC members, the National Federations and the National Paralympic Committee, who have all been closely involved in the planning."

Lindberg said the Commission had "felt the big enthusiasm" during the visit to the proposed venues and at meetings with sports officials and leading politicians, echoing what she had said at the end of their visits to Annecy and Pyeongchang last month.

Bach, the IOC vice-president who had chaired the Evaluation Commissions for the 2002 Winter Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics, knows that the bid race is about to enter a more criticial phase and claimed that he is happy in the position Munich finds itself, trailing Pyeongchang.

"We don't want to lead the race midway - we want to win at the end," he told insidethegames.

"This is more important than leading the way now.

"We have made really good progress this year, getting our message across of our vision and the passion of the fans.

"The Commission has realised how much united Germany is behind this bid."

Bach then borrowed a line from history, Kennedy's naugural address when he was sworn in as United States President 50 years ago.

"It is not what the Games can do for us but what we can for the future of the Games," he said.

In an announcement that appeared to mark the opening of a new front in the campaign against Pyeongchang, Bach also revealed details of a new €40 million (£34 million/$56 million)scheme that will allow athletes from across the world prepare for the Games at Germany's state-of-the-art training venues if Munich's bid is successful.

Munich is trying to counter Pyeongchang's bid slogan of "New Horizons" by claiming that by holding the Games here they would be "nuturuing the roots" or "recharging the batteries".

"We have successfully conveyed our key messages of a bid by athletes for athletes," said Bach.

"Germany is a very strong winter sports nation.

"Some even say that it is the strongest winter sports nation ever.

"But we have not hosted the Olympic Winter Games for 80 years.

"That means ten generations of successful winter sports athletes have not had the opportunity to have the Games in this heartland of winter sports.

"After going to new territories – and rightly so, at the right time with Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 – it is a good time for the Olympic Movement and the Winter Games to recharge the batteries.

"We are really pleased with the last four days."



Munich also received a boost when Gilbert Felli (pictured above right), the Executive Director of the Olympic Games, brushed off claims that the row over land ownership in Garmisch-Partenkirchen could affect the Bavarian capital's chances.

"Having studied the issue very closely and having received assurances from the Government of the Free State of Bavaria, we are convinced that a solution will be found," he said.

Katarina Witt, the chair of Munich 2018, also emphasised Germany's enthusiasm for winter sports as one of its leading attributes.

"It has been a tough week, but very enjoyable," she said.

"The Evaluation Commission has seen how much passion goes into winter sports in Germany.

"Fans are cheering the first athlete and waiting for the last athlete, and that is exactly what you want.

"We have developed a very compact concept. So we have the minimum distances and the maximum atmosphere.

"This week we have given an idea of what the atmosphere could be like when we invite the world with open arms to our Festival of Friendship."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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