Schlickenrieder took a Nordic silver medal at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 and is a triple World Cup winner and five-time German national champion.
 
He has done much to promote cross country skiing in Germany and beyond, and his support brings a wealth of experience and passion as well as global credibility to Munich 2018, German officials claimed.

Speaking at the FIS Cross Country Skiing World Cup at Oberhof, Schlickenrieder said that the prospect of Munich hosting the Olympic Winter Games is a tremendous motivation for young athletes.
 
He said: "Every athlete and sports fan in Germany should get behind Munich’s Olympic bid.

"Hosting the Games in our own country would provide great impetus for young athletes, which is why I am supporting and helping the bid.”
 
Willy Bogner, the chief executive of Munich 2018, said: "We welcome the addition of such a winter sports legend as Peter Schlickenrieder to our growing group of expert and famous ambassadors.

"We are fortunate to have such expertise at our disposal and we will work closely with all our ambassadors to ensure that Munich delivers a totally athlete friendly Games."
 
Meanwhile, the Munich bid team will be active at this season’s international winter sports events in Germany in March, including the FIS Cross Country Skiing World Cup at Oberhof and the Luge World Cup at Koenigssee, one of the intended venues for the Munich 2018 Games.
 
Bogner said: " Koenigssee offers ideal conditions for World Cup events and would be the perfect venue for the bob, skeleton and luge competitions at the Olympic Games. 
 
"Continuous modernisation work at Koenigssee ensures that the oldest artificial sliding track in the world is today of the highest international standard.

"It is located in the middle of the Berchtesgarten National Park and I believe it to be one of the most beautiful sports venues in the world.”
 
At the forthcoming Luge World Cup at Koenigssee, the Munich 2018 bid team will work alongside the German Ski Association (DSV) to build on strong local support by generating further national awareness and enthusiasm for the Munich bid, which will be up against Annecy and Pyeongchang.
 
Munich 2018’s full technical plan will be revealed for the first time on March 15 2010 with the submission of the Applicant City File to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne. 

The IOC is due to choose the host city at its Session in Durban on July 6, 2011.


Related stories
December 2009: New cable car boosts Munich 2018 Olympic bid
December 2009: Munich 2018 take bid campaign to Moscow
November 2009: Bogner to promote Munich 2018 at EOC General Assembly
November 2009: Munich 2018 bid takes another important step forward
November 2009: James Bond filmmaker to head Munich 2018 Olympic bid