Katarina Witt to tour West

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 33

Katarina Witt to tour West

NZPA-AP ' Berlin The Olympic figure skating champion, Katarina Witt, will become a travelling ambassador for East Germany and will make guest appearances with Western ice shows, Communist Party sources said. 1 Witt, who won! her second Olympic gold medal in Calgary last month, plans to end her competitive career after this week’s world figure skating championships in Budapest. ' J| ' Party sources said Witt will I continue her acting studies ' after ending her amateur skating career. I But the-spurces said talks i are going on with several I Western ice shows for Witt to make quest appearances over .the next two years. Witt would be paid in hard currency, but would have to turn over the money to the State, which will in turn give her up to 20 per cent of her earnings back in East German currency/ one sports official said. ’ j! Once Witt, aged 22, com-

! pletes her studies, she will I become a good-will-ambassa-dor for East; Germany. "She will, represent East ’ Germany at occasions: i abroad” .one party official! said. j I He said Witt’s specific function had not yet been ide-! cided. “But she could for example accompany our foreign trade ! delegations,” the official said. In Budapest, Witt is aiming to add her fourth world championship to her collection of two Olympic golds and six European championshp victories. She is a member of East Germany’s Communist Party' and has promoted her country’s image! and policies at. j- appearances aborad. i At a crowded news conferi; ence in Calgary, Witt said j living in East Germany I had j made it possible for her to ’have such an outstanding career. ; ’ ' | j | She said had she lived in ■ the West, her parents would not have been able to afford : her figure skating career. !