Munich bid leader resigns due to health problems

MUNICH (AP) The leader of Munich's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics resigned for health reasons Monday, leaving figure skating great Katarina Witt with a more prominent role in the campaign.

Willy Bogner announced last week that he had an unspecified bowel disease. On Monday, he said he was stepping down after doctors recommended he avoid long-distance travel.

“My condition is unfortunately more serious than previously thought,” the 68-year-old Bogner said. “I hope people understand that my health must come first.”

Bernard Schwank was appointed the new CEO. Witt, the two-time Olympic champion, is the bid chair who has primarily been active promoting Munich events abroad. She will now will take on a wider role in that regard. Juergen Buehl will serve as bid director.

The change comes as Munich's bid struggles to resolve a dispute with a group of farmers in Garmisch-Partenkirchen who are unwilling to cede their land for use during the Olympics.

Munich, which hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, is trying to become the first city to stage both the Summer and Winter Games.

Munich is competing against Annecy, France, and Pyeongchang, South Korea. The International Olympic Committee will select the host city in a vote in Durban, South Africa, in July 2011.

Bogner, a former two-time Olympic skier, gained renown as a movie maker. He directed and filmed skiing scenes in four James Bond movies, as well as films from several Winter Games. He also made an international name for himself as a fashion designer, focusing on ski, tennis and casual sportswear collections.

Bogner will remain as a member of the committee board and will continue to offer assistance on marketing and communication issues.

“Having spoken with a number of IOC members over the past weeks, I am positive that Willy has left the bid in great shape,” Witt said.

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