Federal government for application - German Olympic Goals: First success in Paris, then home games
At the Olympic home of the German team in Paris, DOSB-Chief Thomas Weikert is already in competition mode. The longing for golden days at the Summer Games in France's capital is more intertwined than ever with the hope for a new German bid for Weikert, president of the German Olympic Sports Federation, just before the Opening Ceremony. The long-awaited green light from the German government has been given, as confirmed by government sources.
The Federal Cabinet decided to sign the joint declaration with the German Olympic Sports Federation and the interested federal states and cities, as confirmed by government circles. "That means politics is fully and completely behind us. That makes us very happy," said Weikert at his first appearance at the German House for Olympia, which the DOSB is setting up in a Rugby stadium in Paris.
The goal of the German team at the Olympics: Top Ten in the Nation Ranking
Here, the German team intends to celebrate a series of medal ceremonies with 428 female and male athletes in the coming two weeks and further fuel the Olympic fever and the desire for home games. Three years ago in Tokyo, only 37 medals were won, the poorest yield since reunification. "We have come here to achieve something. We have given the motto to reach the Top Ten in the Olympic medal ranking again," says Chief de Mission Olaf Tabor.
The German team will have to make an effort for this, adds Tabor. "We will certainly not be given anything on this path," says Tabor. The same could also be said for a new Olympic bid. According to the International Olympic Committee, there is already a larger number of interested parties for 2036 and also 2040.
Weikert is very happy that the coalition government has paved the way for a bid before the start of the Games in Paris on Friday. The German government clearly prefers a candidacy for the Summer Games in 2040, which would be 50 years after German reunification.
"Olympic and Paralympic Games are a great opportunity for our country. They not only arouse sports enthusiasm but can also strengthen social cohesion and set impulses for the economy," said Federal Interior and Sports Minister Nancy Faeser. The SPD politician will sign the basic agreement on August 2 at the Summer Games in France.
The Union criticized that the German government did not clarify its position on a bid earlier. "Valuable time has been wasted," said Stephan Mayer, the CDU/CSU sports policy spokesperson. "It's important now to quickly select a candidate from Germany who also has good chances of receiving the bid for the organization of the Olympic Games."
DOSB-Chief Weikert expects no new obstacles for an Olympic project in case of a government change. "I'm quite positive that it will continue," said the 62-year-old. The Union is "aware that some money will have to be loosened up."
However, Weikert warned against fixing the year for a bid too early. Controversial discussions had taken place about a German bid for 2036, exactly 100 years after the Nazi Games in Berlin.
Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and the Rhin-Ruhr region have explicitly expressed their interest in a bid with declaration of intent. Hamburg's Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) told the German Press Agency about a possible bid in conjunction with Berlin: "It depends on convincingly presenting the concept. In my assessment, that's possible." Bundesrat President Manuela Schwesig (SPD) advocated for Olympic sailing competitions in Warnemünde in an interview with the Ostsee-Zeitung.
The government announces a grant of approximately seven million Euros
The previous Olympic campaigns in Germany in Munich and Hamburg failed due to resistance and the will of the population. On December 7, the DOSB will decide further steps at its members' meeting in Saarbrücken. Weikert announced an extraordinary members' meeting in the first half of 2025, which could then definitively put a German Olympic bid on the right track.
The German government will contribute a total of 6,95 million Euros to the bid costs until 2027. The Association of German Athletes welcomed the support of the traffic light coalition: "The idea of representing Germany at home is our greatest motivation." However, for the sake of an Olympic bid, top-level sports funding should not be cut.
After the games in Paris, Los Angeles is the next summer host in 2028. For 2032, the Olympics have been awarded to Brisbane, Australia.
- Thomas Weikert, the DOSB-Chief, is in competition mode at the Olympic home in Paris, France, where he hopes for a new German bid for the Summer Games.
- Weikert expressed his happiness at the German government's green light for the bid, as confirmed by government sources.
- The German team aims to secure a Top Ten position in the Nation Ranking at the upcoming summer games in Paris.
- Olaf Tabor, the Chief de Mission, stated the German team's intention to celebrate medal ceremonies with 428 athletes and further fuel the Olympic fever.
- Weikert is optimistic about the German government's preference for a candidacy for the Summer Games in 2040, which would commemorate 50 years of German reunification.
- Federal Interior and Sports Minister Nancy Faeser expressed her support for the Olympic bid, stating its potential to arouse sports enthusiasm and strengthen social cohesion.
- The Union criticized the German government for not clarifying its position on a bid earlier, with Stephan Mayer stating that valuable time had been wasted.
- Weikert anticipated no new obstacles for an Olympic project in the event of a government change, with the Union acknowledging that some funds may need to be released.
- Several cities, including Berlin and Hamburg, have expressed their interest in bidding for the Summer Games, with Hamburg's Mayor Peter Tschentscher stating that convincingly presenting the concept is key.
