On 26 September, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) will decide which German candidate will be allowed to bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games between 2036 and 2044. The cities in the running are Berlin, Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr and Munich. However, for the winner, the national vote merely marks the start of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) international bid process.
Preliminary decision on the Olympic Games in Germany
The DOSB General Assembly will vote on the three German bids on 26 September. According to Jürgen Mittag, a Cologne-based sports policy expert, the positive results of the referendums in Munich and the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr region could give the bids a slight advantage. In the past, bids have repeatedly failed due to a lack of public support. The referendum results are therefore “a decisive factor”, said Mittag. However, they say little about the long-term viability of the respective proposals. In addition to the quality of the bid, geopolitical conditions, potential rival candidates, economic interests and the IOC’s strategic objectives are likely to play a role. Another decisive factor is the narrative a bid conveys and the long-term legacy it promises.
The Olympic Games as a project for the future
Ansgar Thiel, Vice-Chancellor of the German Sport University Cologne, sees hosting the Games primarily as an opportunity for long-term development. The Olympic and Paralympic Games could be “a major project for the region’s future”, he explained, referring to the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr area. A prerequisite for this, he said, is that investments – for example in sports facilities, transport and urban development – should benefit the local population in the long term.
A complicated process
The winner of the DOSB vote does not automatically become part of the shortlist of potential host cities. From March 2027, the IOC may decide which cities or regions will be included in the new “Strategic Dialogue”. The reformed procedure is intended to enable bidders to assess their chances of success at an earlier stage. The IOC wants to prevent “cities from investing enormous sums in a bid for years on end without receiving a realistic assessment of their chances along the way”, said Wassong. In his view, this could make the selection process more transparent and cost-effective.
Mittag sees Munich as the narrow favourite in the race to host the Olympic Games
With two-thirds majorities, the people of Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr have voted in favour of an Olympic bid, whilst Berlin is banking on an equally broad resolution from the House of Representatives and Hamburg has withdrawn following a negative referendum. Prof. Jürgen Mittag, a sports policy researcher at the German Sport University Cologne, regards the referendums as a significant advantage for Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr.
“In my view, the referendums are a key factor,” said Mittag, referring to the direct democratic legitimacy of the bids. At the same time, he cautioned against overestimating the significance of the votes, as they did not yet indicate whether a bid was “convincing from a sporting perspective, financially viable and internationally competitive”.
In the race, the scientist sees Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr ahead of Berlin, with Munich currently holding a narrow lead due to the Olympic Park, the memories of 1972 and the short distances involved. Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr, on the other hand, scores highly with its numerous existing sports venues, extensive experience in hosting events and a large potential audience, but it must prove the viability of its sprawling, polycentric concept.
With regard to the selection process, Mittag is calling for clear justifications: “Ultimately, however, it should be clear why the DOSB chose a particular candidate and which criteria were decisive in that decision.”
He is cautious in his assessment of Germany’s chances of hosting the 2036 Games due to geopolitical competition, whilst he considers 2040 to be a more promising prospect: “The more strategically interesting prospect is likely to be 2040.”
Kristian Bauer
Editor