What makes German sports promotion so inefficient
Since the mixed performance of German athletes at the Olympics, there's been increased discussion about the financial resources allocated to sports. For instance, cycling Olympic champion Kristina Vogel has called for significantly higher bonuses. However, the distribution of funds is also an issue, as suggested by a study.
The poor performance of the German Olympic team at the Paris Summer Games is also attributed by the Institute of the German Economy Cologne to insufficient sports promotion. "German sports promotion is inefficient and fails to achieve its goal of sustainably strengthening elite sports," said IW economist Melinda Fremerey.
According to the IW study, while the funding for elite sports promotion has increased by 36% in real terms over the past decade, from €44 million to €60 million, the success has been declining. Germany finished 10th in the medal table in Paris with 12 gold, 13 silver, and 8 bronze medals, its worst performance since reunification.
The study found that the federal government's subsidies to sports associations per medal have almost doubled in the past eight years, from around €2.2 million in Rio 2016 to €3.7 million in Paris.
"The sports promotion suffers from the same ailment that also burdens the economy: bureaucracy often undermines the effectiveness of state measures," explained IW economist Simon Gerards Iglesias.
The study concludes that due to inadequate centralization, resources are not focused on promising disciplines but spread widely. For example, the German Athletics Association received the most money, over €30 million, between 2021 and 2023, but won only four medals in Paris. Youth promotion also seems to be failing, with fewer applicants to German sports schools.
"There's a need for action on many levels. We need more coaches and better pay for coaches. I've been trying to push this for many years, but it's not quite there yet," said Thomas Weikert, president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, in an interview with ZDF on Sunday. He also mentioned sports in schools and kindergartens, and lack of funding as problems.
The ineffectiveness of sports promotion in Germany, as highlighted by the Institute of the German Economy Cologne, can be partially attributed to the prevalence of bureaucracy. According to IW economist Simon Gerards Iglesias, "bureaucracy often undermines the effectiveness of state measures" in sports promotion, just as it does in the economy.
