German Olympic Committee chooses Munich over Rhine-Ruhr to bid for Summer Games

Selection in Baden-Baden

Delegates of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) gathered on Saturday at the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden for an extraordinary general assembly. A total of 141 votes were available in the secret ballot, distributed across 42 Olympic sports federations with three votes each, alongside personal members and the DOSB presidium. Munich won the nomination in the first round of voting, overcoming a joint bid by Cologne and the Rhine-Ruhr region. German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced the decision during a live broadcast alongside DOSB President Thomas Weikert.

The bid is a huge opportunity for all of Germany.

Munich concept and western reaction

Munich's bid plan places almost all sports venues inside Bavaria, keeping sailing events in Kiel and preliminary football matches in Stuttgart. The DOSB evaluation commission rated Munich's blueprint slightly higher than the Rhine-Ruhr plan prior to the vote. North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wüst attended the gathering in Baden-Baden, while state Deputy Premier Mona Neubaur and local representatives followed the result at the German Sport and Olympic Museum in Cologne. The western bid proposed holding field hockey at the Mönchengladbach Hockeypark, managed by two-time Olympic medalist Michael Hilgers, and projected potential ticket sales of up to 17.6 million. Mönchengladbach Mayor Felix Heinrichs conceded the vote while praising the overall national effort.

In sport, it comes down to losing fairly. For Germany, it would definitely be good if Munich gets the Summer Olympic Games.

Referendums and political shifts

Munich secured the national ticket after competing proposals in Hamburg and Berlin dropped out of consideration. Hamburg's Olympic project ended in late May when a majority of local voters opposed the concept in a city referendum. Berlin withdrew on Thursday, two days prior to the DOSB assembly, after scoring lower in the confederation's evaluation and following the state election victory of the Left Party. The Left Party's lead candidate, Elif Eralp, publicly rejected hosting the Games in Berlin. Munich built its candidacy on a municipal survey in October that recorded a two-thirds majority in favour of the bid, moving past seven previous unsuccessful German bids since the 1972 Munich Games.

Some might say the path was typically German.

Target years and IOC selection timetable

German sports authorities have not yet decided whether to formally submit the bid for 2036, 2040, or 2044. Sports Minister Ronald Rauhe favored the 2040 Games because they coincide with the 50th anniversary of German reunification.

2040 will mark the 50th anniversary of reunification. Here we could send a great signal that also aligns with the values of the Olympic Games.

The international race involves potential bids from countries including India and Qatar. The International Olympic Committee plans to conclude its preliminary evaluation phase by March 2027, followed by detailed strategic negotiations through late 2028 and a definitive vote at the IOC Session in mid-2029.