German ice-skating legend Katarina Witt on Tuesday took over as the leader of Munich’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games after her predecessor resigned for health reasons.
The 44-year-old, who won ladies singles Winter Olympic gold in Calgary in 1988 and Sarajevo in 1984, replaces Willy Bogner, 68, who on Monday stepped down as president and leader of the bid on medical advice.
Bogner will be replaced as president by Bernhard Schwank, while Witt will be the new face of the Munich bid.
PHOTO: AFP
PRESSURE
The Bavarian bid is under pressure as there is only four months left before it must be formally submitted and the loss of Bogner was a blow, but it is hoped charismatic Witt can bring the Winter Games to Munich.
“We must now work hard to integrate the public into this bid and make every effort to fulfill our common dream of the Olympics in our own country,” Witt said. “I am perhaps the most famous face in our team, but we have all worked together from the start and put in plenty of commitment.”
“I have been the chairman of the board of trustees since Vancouver earlier this year and have worked to make this a success internationally. Now I’m going to bring that to a national level,” Witt said.
READY FOR THE JOB
Thomas Bach, president of Germany’s Olympic committee, said Witt is ready for the top job.
“She had the task of making the presentation for Munich 2018 during the Youth Games in Singapore and she did a good job,” he said. “We have received the best response from all the parties and IOC members.”
“This role will continue — and I’m sure she will do it with success,” Bach said.
Munich’s bid has already been hit with several problems as Bavarian farmers refused in July to allow their land to be used for the Games.
The International Olympic Committee will vote in Durban, South Africa, on July 6 next year on who wins the right to host the Games.
Munich are up against South Korean candidate Pyeongchang, bidding for a third time after two unsuccessful previous attempts, and the French town of Annecy, bidding to restore national pride after the crushing defeat Paris suffered at the hands of London for hosting the 2012 Summer Games.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
RSS