Munich 2018 Winter Olympic bid chief Willy Bogner has resigned due to illness, bid officials said on Monday.
Bogner revealed only last week he was suffering from an unspecified "serious" intestinal illness that could require surgery.
"Willy Bogner has asked the bid committee following advice from his doctors to immediately release him from his role as head of the bid due to health reasons," Munich 2018 said in a statement.
Munich is hoping to become the first city to stage Summer and Winter Games, competing with France's Annecy and South Korea''s Pyeongchang for the 2018 Olympics. Munich hosted the 1972 summer Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee will choose the winning bid in July 2011.
"My illness is more serious than initially thought," said Bogner, a former Olympic skier and successful fashion designer. "The doctors have advised against long trips."
Double Olympic figure skating gold medallist Katarina Witt will take on a more prominent role while continuing to represent the bid internationally. Bernhard Schwank will take over from Bogner as CEO, effective immediately.
Bogner had been leading the Munich bid, which has been plagued by problems in recent months.
Land owners in nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen are refusing to offer their land for Olympic use and officials have been forced to negotiate for the use of NATO-controlled territory, including a golf course, in the area to solve their problems.
Anti-Olympic campaigners have also said they had received death threats for their opposition to the Games in Munich and Garmisch.
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