Q&A with Munich 2018 Athletes' Expert and IOC Member Claudia Bokel

(ATR) Claudia Bokel tells Around the Rings about her role on the Munich 2018 bid, her experiences as an IOC member and her hopes for London 2012.

Born in the Netherlands, the 37-year-old also holds a passport from Germany, her home as a three-time Olympian in epee fencing.

Bokel competed at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, where she won a silver medal. She also took home gold at the 2001 World Fencing Championships.

Bokel chaired the European Olympic Committees Athletes Commission from 2005 until 2009. In 2008 in Beijing, she won election to the IOC Athletes Commission and with that an eight-year term as an IOC member. She is also a member of the IOC Entourage Commission.

Around the Rings: What contribution are you making to the Munich 2018 bid?

Claudia Bokel: As a vice-president of the IOC Athletes Commission, I do have some experience of knowing what athletes in different sports want. I have been at six Olympic Games myself, three as a summer athlete and three as an athlete representative. But also at two Winter Games. I hope to have gotten through in the bid the transfer from summer to winter [experiences] and vice versa. I think the input has been very valuable.

ATR: What are Munich 2018's biggest assets?

CB: With Katarina [Witt] and Thomas [Bach] also former athletes that is one of the biggest... athletes for athletes. And it's a sustainable bid. We have the Olympic Park for 40 years, and it's still so impressive and amazing.

Also, the short distances to competition venues for athletes... and still to be able to enjoy a little bit of Munich, which is such a great city, and a festival atmosphere.

ATR: How important is next month's 2018 bid cities briefing to IOC members in Lausanne?

CB: It's important every time to be able to get your message across. Definitely, I would like to show all the IOC members in Lausanne at the technical briefing more details of our bid and what we have to offer to the athletes and the Olympic family and our sustainable plans for that. I am really looking forward to that.

At least now there comes a part that I have already been able to see as an IOC member, because I was elected in 2008. I had never been through an evaluation commission part of bidding before. But I was at the 2016 technical briefing, so at least I know a little bit about how it was. It will be the first one for a Winter Games, so it's an important milestone.

ATR: What would it mean to you if Munich won the 2018 Olympics?

CB: I was born in the Netherlands but all my sporting life has been in Germany and it's been such a great sporting life. People really love sports here. It would be just so great to have the Olympic Games in Germany and to give all those fans who are so passionate about sports, and especially winter sports, the opportunity to have it in their own country.

Being around athletes in Germany for so many years... first of all, the current and past athletes, to give their input to have the best possible environment for athletes and to have the future athletes compete in front of such great crowds –I get goosebumps even thinking about it.

ATR: What is the most important factor for athletes competing at an Olympics?

CB: I think it's everything that is involved with the athletes. It starts from close distances to your training and competition sites and your [Olympic] village where you have a home away from home where you can really feel good in.

Anything that makes you able to perform as best as possible, from the small details to the big things like being able to travel easily to your competition sites.

ATR: Is being an IOC member what you expected?

CB: I didn't have that many expectations.

I had been an athlete representative for many years. I was elected in 2001 into the German athletes commission so I know the whole system within Germany with athletes representation. That's also a good thing because I knew people involved with the bid. I was chairing the EOC athletes' commission for four years... it just seemed like a next step to be a candidate for the IOC athletes' commission.

I thought this is the work I have been doing in Germany and within Europe... I want to do it for the whole world because I think I can really make a difference... especially with my one passio, the athlete family part. I have been enjoying it. It's really a chance to be able to work on the things that are important to me.

ATR: What is it like working on an Olympic bid compared to competing?

CB: It's a great transition to still be part of the Olympic Movement – without needing to train every day. For me it's the best because I love being an athlete... I have been an athlete for 20 years [Bokel started fencing when she was 10]. Sport has been such a huge part of my life that I really wanted to stay involved and also give something back. It's a bit different because you get to see all the different sides.

I am so happy I am involved in this bid and that I have been able to put the athletes' perspective within our Festival of Friendship message. When I was chair of the German athletes' commission I voted for Munich to become the candidate for Germany for 2018, so I have been involved from the start.

Officially, I retired last year but my last competition was in March 2008.

ATR: What is the new IOC Entourage Commission working on?

CB: We have different people with different backgrounds. For me, it's again what's important for the athletes, that athletes know who to go to and who they need around them.

ATR: As the first German female IOC member, do you think more women are deserving of top sports positions?

CB: Of course, we need to look after that. I don't see myself like I'm only there for the women. I am there to represent the athletes, male and female. More balance I think that's the natural way to do it.

What I have seen in all the athletes commissions is that we have had about half and half. We have had a lot of discussions in Germany about the percentage of women who need to be in the top companies. If you want to see all the sides of [sport], you have representatives from everywhere.

ATR: What are you hoping for from the London 2012 Olympics?

CB: I hope I won't feel too bad watching it and regretting that I didn't continue competing, which I am actually afraid will happen. Again, I will cry when I see medal ceremonies. I am sure it's going to be a fantastic Games. I am really looking forward to London.

Interview conducted by Mark Bisson.