IOC chief Bach dampens German Olympic euphoria
The Olympic Games in Paris also inspire Germans to dream: Having such a major event in their own country would be great. The federal government agrees and promises financial support for a bid. However, the German IOC President is not convinced.
Olympic dreams are ripening in Germany, with the Summer Games in Paris giving the campaign by the DOSB and the federal government a boost. IOC President Thomas Bach remains distant from the plans in his home country, however. "We are now observing initial tentative efforts to revisit this topic," Bach said in a conversation with Rio Olympic champion Fabian Hambüchen on Eurosport.
He warned against too much euphoria: "But there are still some fundamental questions that need to be resolved before this can be pursued realistically." In any case, there won't be any Games in Germany in the near future. The Summer Olympics for which the DOSB also wants to bid are already allocated until 2032 (Brisbane). For 2036, Bach said for the umpteenth time, the IOC already has "a good double-digit number of interested countries and National Olympic Committees."
He would be "immensely pleased if this Olympic spark would also jump over to us and we could drive an Olympic bid forward with all the appreciation that Germany still has as an organizer."
In Paris, the federal government had secured financial support for a German bid through Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the SPD. This was the long-awaited signal for the German Olympic Sports Confederation, which would like to soon start informal talks with Bach's IOC. The question that remains to be clarified is with which city or cities and regions the DOSB will enter. The federal government favors 2040, while the umbrella organization wants to keep its decision open.
The last Olympic Games in Germany were more than half a century ago. Munich hosted the Summer Games in 1972. Since then, seven German bids have failed.
Despite the support from the German government and Olympic aspirations, Bach remains cautious about a potential bid for the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, citing unresolved questions. The French government's financial backing for a German bid has encouraged the German Olympic Sports Confederation to initiate discussions with Bach's IOC. However, the exact cities and regions for a potential German bid are yet to be determined, with the federal government favoring 2040 while the DOSB keeps its options open.
