Former Olympic downhill champion Franz Klammer will head Salzburg's 2014 Winter Olympic bid after the unexpected departure of chief executive officer Fedor Radmann.

Radmann, 62, announced his resignation on Monday for undisclosed health reasons.

Klammer, 54, won the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics downhill with a thrilling exhibition of fearless skiing after starting in 15th place on a treacherous course.

He is set to take over the ambassadorial elements of Radmann's job with the business side being handled initially by the bid's operations director Rudi Hoeller and Games plan director Gernot Leitner.

The bid team will decide whether to appoint a permanent replacement for the chief executive officer position.

"Franz Klammer is one of Austria's biggest heroes and he is also well known internationally as a great sportsman, so I cannot think of a better ambassador than him," Salzburg 2014 spokeswoman Alexandra Knoke said.

In a statement released on the bid's website (www.salzburg2014.com), Radmann said he was confident the Austrian campaign would go on successfully without his leadership.

"I have always been a fighter and this move is very difficult for me," Radmann said. "However, I must accept that the body sets its own limits, which cannot be ignored.

"I am convinced that, despite this personnel change, Salzburg 2014 will continue to work determinedly and with full commitment."

Radmann, a former senior advisor for the 2006 soccer World Cup finals in Germany, was already the second man to head the Salzburg bid following the equally unexpected resignation of his predecessor in March 2006.

The latest departure comes less than two months before the International Olympic Committee (IOC) evaluation commission is due to visit Salzburg.

The decision on the hosting of the Games, based on the commission's report, will be made during the IOC's Congress in Guatemala on July 4, with Salzburg facing competition from the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi and South Korea's Pyeongchang.

(Writing by Mark Ledsom, editing by John Mehaffey, London Sports Desk; Reuters Messaging: john.mehaffey.reuters.com@reuters.net; +44 20 7542 7933))