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Posted at 9:11 a.m., Saturday, December 8, 2007

Olympics: Munich draws support for Winter Games bid

Associated Press

HAMBURG, Germany — Munich received support Saturday for a 2018 Olympic bid, with Germany hoping to stage the Winter Games for the first time since the Nazi era in 1936.

Munich could become the first city to hold both the Winter and Summer Games. It hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, which were scarred by the attack on Israeli athletes.

Germany's Olympics Sports Federation voted unanimously for Munich at its general assembly. The government has also backed Munich and two Alpine resort towns that would stage events — Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Schoenau.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen hosted the 1936 Winter Games, which took place a few months before the Berlin Summer Olympics.

"We should embrace the competition — confident, committed and united," said German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaueble, whose department is responsible for sports in the country.

South Korea's Pyeongchang has announced it will bid for the 2018 Games. Vancouver, British Columbia, will host the 2010 Winter Games, followed by Sochi, Russia, in 2014.

Germany is expected to spend about $43 million on the bid, which will be decided in 2011 by the International Olympic Committee.

Skiing would be held at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which is 55 miles from Munich. Events like luge and bobsledding would take place at Schoenau, 100 miles from the city.

Germany won the most medals at the past two Winter Olympics — 36 at Salt Lake City in 2002 and 29 at Turin, Italy, in 2006.