The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) announced on Saturday that it has selected Munich as Germany's candidate to bid for at least the next three Summer Olympic Games. The decision came days after Berlin withdrew from the race.
Munich, which previously hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics and had two failed bids for the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games, is now hoping to secure a win. The only other contender was a Cologne-led bid by the Rhine-Ruhr region.
Ahead of the vote, former Olympic champion and new Sports Minister Ronald Rauhe said: "We have an international task to fulfill and must enter the race with the city or region that gives Germany the greatest chances internationally. The decision on that is made by sport, and I assume that it will make it with a great deal of responsibility."
The Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr bid had claimed that as many as 17.6 million tickets could be sold for the Games, more than ever before, according to the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Until Thursday, Berlin had been among the cities in contention, but the city's mayor announced that Berlin would withdraw from the race. The withdrawal comes after the socialist Left Party's victory in the German capital's elections last weekend. The party's lead candidate and potential mayor, Elif Eralp, said she did not support Berlin's bid.
On Friday, Sports Minister Ronald Rauhe said he would welcome a German Olympic bid for the 2040 Games, coinciding with an important historical milestone. "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," Rauhe told German news agency dpa ahead of the deciding vote on Saturday. "Based on my personal history, 2040 would be my favorite date. That has to do with the fact that I'm a Berlin child. As a schoolchild, I experienced what happens to people when a wall falls, when people grow together again, when two population groups that had been separated become a community again," Rauhe said. "Ultimately, though, one thing matters above all: bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to our country. No matter when," Rauhe said.
Source: www.dw.com