Olympic approval

Germany took a step closer to hosting the Winter Olympics in 2018 after locals in Garmisch-Partenkirchen voted to support the bid in a referendum on Sunday.

The Olympic bid has been met with an icy reception from many in the southern Alpine town after it was suggested as a venue for the Olympic skiing events.

Opponents insisted that the Olympics would prove to be too big for the town and posed financial and environmental risks.

But the vote, in which 21,000 people were eligible to take part, ended with a majority of 58 percent approving the bid.

"Now there is clarity in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. A clear majority of Germans would like to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Munich, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Königssee," said Thomas Bach, president of the German Olympic Sports Federation (DSB).

Strengthened Olympic bid

After the votes from all 14 districts were counted, Christian Ude, the mayor of Munich, called on Olympic opponents in Garmisch-Partenkirchen to restore peace in the town.

"Good Democrats must also be good losers," he said.

Munich is up against Annecy in France and Pyeongchang in South Korea for the games.

In the buildup to the referendum, Ude had revealed that a no vote would be a "really bad setback" for Munich's Olympic bid.

Katarina Witt, a former Olympic champion and Munich's chief Olympic representative, also admitted that any discord in the German camp would have seriously threatened Munich's bid.

The International Olympic Committee will only send the athletes where they "will be welcomed with open arms," said the two-time figure skating Olympic gold medalist.

The International Olympic Committee is expected to announce the host of the 2018 games on July 6 in Durban, South Africa. If Munich is successful, it will become the first city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Games.

Author: Charlotte Chelsom-Pill (dpa, AP)

Editor: Martin Kuebler