Koreans warned over Witt X-factor

Pyeongchang may be considered the favourite to make it third time lucky when the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics is announced in July but according to one source close to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) their hopes could yet be shattered. The reason for that - main rival Munich's standardbearer ice skating legend Katarina Witt. The source - who has been behind several winning bid candidates - told AFP that while Pyeongchang had everything on both the technical side and the financial guarantees they lacked the 'x factor' of having a well known ambassador or front person, which could tip the balance in what is considered to be a tight two horse race. The French Alpine town of Annecy is the third candidate in a race which will see the 100-plus IOC members vote on in the South African city of Durban on July 6. Witt has been according to observers as radiant and professional on the campaign trail as she was when she took to the ice for her native East Germany and won Olympic golds in Sarajevo in 1984 and Calgary in 1988. "She (Witt) has shown the same verve for this battleground as Sebastian Coe did when he fronted up for the London bid, and we saw what the end result of that was," the source told AFP referring to how London stunned favourites Paris in the race for the 2012 Olympics. "She may lack the previous political experience that Coe had (he had been a Conservative Member of Parliament), but she has a natural charm and the sparkle and personality which can swing undecided voters. "She is part of Olympic history like Coe was but also she doesn't simply rest on that image and makes it clear she wants to give back to the Olympics a real legacy. "She wants to make history by bringing the Games to Munich and making it the first city to host both the winter and summer games." The source said that because of her freshness and vibrancy Munich - who received a very strong appraisal from the IOC Evaluation Commission a fortnight ago - presented a viable alternative to those members who were getting weary of the Pyeongchang bid. "Pyeongchang have an excellent bid, but then their last one was as well and they still lost to Sochi (for the 2014 Games). "What they really need is that front person, an instantly recognisable face but also one who brings charisma and humour and also gravitas to the table and they plainly don't have one of the stature of Witt. "Its not about cult of personality in winning the hosting of an Olympics but it is a very important aspect these days to have a warm hands on approach as the vast majority of IOC members are forbidden from visiting the candidate cities."