team on the bid committee and Germany is a big winter sports country used to organizing competitions." The then-IOC vice-president Thomas Bach insisted that 2018 was a good time for the IOC and Olympic Movement to bring the Games to the traditional winter sports city of Munich to "recharge the batteries after having been to new regions, with 2014 to Sochi and 2016 to Rio". German chancellor Angela Merkel said Munich had a "very good chance" of winning the race to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. She added, "The world can look forward to Germany hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2018." In addition to its historical strength as a passionate winter sports nation, figure skating superstar Katarina Witt promoted the bid, as well as 2010 Winter Olympics star alpine skier Maria Riesch and Olympic champion Bavarian biathlete Magdalena Neuner. Within the IOC, Munich had a strong ally with IOC vice president Thomas Bach, whom, it was thought, could swing the vote to Munich, even though the 2014 Games will have been held in Europe as well. Nevertheless, Munich was already considering a bid for 2022 even before the 2018 bid failed. Organizers budgeted US$42 million for the bid and US$331 million for venues with $143 million budgeted for an ice hockey arena. $743 million was allotted for new and planned transportation improvements. The slogan of the Games was Die Spiele im Herzen (The games at heart) and it was also being tagged as "the friendly Games". The logo was a stylized M, reminiscent of the Bavarian mountain silhouettes as well as the awnings in Munich's Olympic Park. See also 2018 Winter Olympics Pyeongchang bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics Bids for the 2018 Winter Olympics Beijing bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics References 2018 Winter Olympics bids 2010s in Munich Sport in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Sports competitions in Munich