GLOBAL SPORTS FORUM IN BARCELONA - SPAIN

10.03.2011

After our marathon operation before and all the way through the visit of the Evaluation Commission in Munich, I go on my next trip for our Munich 2018 bid right away. I attend the third edition of the Global Sports Forum in Barcelona. The theme of this year's event is "SPORT - What's next?".

The first panel of the forum entitled "Woman who make a difference in sports" is initiated by the well-known U.S. double Olympic gold medalist in swimming, first President of the Women's Sport Foundation and award winning journalist Donna de Varona. In addition to Donna de Varona and I, five other distinguished women are taking part in the discussion: the French minister for sport and former karate champion Chantal Jouanno, the multiple Olympic medalist in alpine skiing Pernilla Wiberg, the former U.S. football player and World Champion Mia Hamm, the Chief Executive Officer of the International Federation of Netball Associations Urvasi Naidoo and the British sailor Sam Davies. The well-known American sports writer Alan Abrahamson moderates this illustrious round table discussion and I am sure that he is enjoying it very much :-)

For myself this meeting is a unique opportunity to get to know great athletes and impressive personalities. We discuss together the opportunities and the role of women in sports and in the society. Despite the different sports in which we excelled and our different careers we are unanimously campaigning for equal rights for women.

In the photo one can see how I as chair of the Munich 2018 bid am "heckled" by the two French ambassadors for Annecy 2018, Pernilla Wiberg and Chantal Jouanno :-) 

http://insidethegames.biz/bbc/1-latest-news/12201-more-female-role-models-needed-for-women-to-succeed-in-sport

http://insidethegames.biz/winter-olympics/2018/12203-qwe-are-focussing-on-our-own-bidq-claims-witt

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/10/olympics-munich-witt-merkel-idUSLDE7291FV20110310