The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships began Tuesday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the proposed location for the Munich 2018 Snow Park should the Munich host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
The event takes place just three weeks before the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Evaluation Commission visits Munich 2018 March 1 to 4 to inspect the city’s bid.
The opening ceremony showcased the potential of Munich 2018’s Festival of Friendship concept with live music (including opera, rock and traditional Bavarian folk music), 1,300 volunteers, and a crowd filling the Olympic Ski Stadium.
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships attracts more than 500 athletes from 69 nations to the region.
It was broadcast live on German television with more than three million winter sports fans from across the nation tuning in to watch the event.
Bernhard Schwank, CEO of Munich 2018 said, “it was fantastic to see what is being done in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to celebrate the global event – an incredible show of the Bavarian passion for winter sports with a sense of warmth and hospitality from the crowd. The athletes are experiencing a hint of Munich 2018’s Festival of Friendship atmosphere and everything we have promised to the world should the Games come to Munich in 2018”.
The opening ceremony was attended by Germany’s most influential political figures, including Christian Wuff, President of Germany, and Angela Merke, Chancellor of Germany.
