Germany's former double Olympic ice skating champion is attending the Global Sports Industry Congress in Westminster as chair of Munich's bid for the 2018 Winter Games, a position she took over only a couple of months ago.

But for all that it is a new challenge for her, it strongly resembles an old one.

"This is maybe something that is very similar to getting prepared for competing in the Olympics," she said.

"You give up everything else because you want to gear yourself up for that very big competition, for that one moment.

"And for this you live and you breathe and you fight."

Witt got an insight into the intensity of working for an Olympic candidate city when she spoke with her fellow double Olympic champion Sebastian Coe earlier this year about the demands of steering a bid for the Games.

It was a conversation which has since proved very useful.

"It's funny because I spoke to Seb a few months ago when it was becoming clear we would be a candidate city," she said.

"And you realised, OK, 'it's like 'forget the rest of your life, you now concentrate on this one thing...'

"Throughout the process since then things have made sense that Seb told me a few months ago."

The measure of Witt's commitment to the cause was evident this year when she was unable to maintain her involvement as a presenter and producer of the Stars Auf Ice show on German TV and as a consequence the show did not run.

"It's like with everything, you have to sift through it yourself," she said.

"Like when your parents tell you 'don't do that' you think 'yeah, right...' but 10 years later you say 'you were so right'.

"You have to have your own experience, but it's always nice to have people you can ask and get advice from.

"In this country I have heard how much praise and respect Seb Coe (pictured with Jacques Rogge) he gets, especially when the IOC (International Olympic Committee) members are here and they are happy that everything is going well in London."

Witt's new role has required from her a greater amount of effort on home ground.

"I have been involved in this bid for a year," she said.

"Maybe I haven't been seen as much in Germany because I was travelling a lot to places like Vancouver and Dubai, and meeting a lot of IOC members.

"My role has changed a bit in Germany - I am more visible for the people and maybe for the media, and as every week goes by I am learning more about the process."

Witt revealed that during the morning session on emerging nations she had wanted to raise her arm and ask a question, although the opportunity had not presented itself.

"The time was running out," she said with a laugh.

"I can see there are a lot of emerging nations, and that places like Rio and Sochi can give Olympic sports a new direction.

"At the same time you have to think as well 'don't forget to balance it out'.

"You need to still water the roots, keep your traditions.

"You have to nurture your heartlands where the sport has been done for many, many years to make sure the interest stays alive there."

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