What you need to know about Germany's so-called Olympic bid
I have been asked by IOC members and leading officials from Olympic IFs what this alleged German bid is all about. So I thought I should provide this information to thousands of non-German readers. To put it bluntly: Germany's so-called Olympic bid is, unfortunately, still a laughing stock.
First things first: There are no viable concepts whatsoever – not in terms of organisation, not financially.
I will summarise the most important points for you – and supplement this with numerous links to detailed articles from the past few months, in which you will mostly find exclusively compiled details and numerous documents. If you want to delve into the subject matter, these articles will give you the best orientation.
It's a matter of fact: Currently, no bidding concepts exist.
- First project outlines must be submitted by 31 May 2025.
- In the summer of 2026, referendums may be held in participating cities and regions, which are purely optional and non-binding (the legal regulations in Germany vary greatly from region to region).
- In late summer/autumn 2026, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) will decide on the projects, which are to be refined by then, at an extraordinary general assembly.
In December 2024, at the last general meeting of the DOSB for the time being, a different schedule had been presented. At that time, it was said that the candidate would be selected at the end of 2025. A few weeks later, an internal letter was sent out with a new schedule. This is how it goes on and on. I quoted from this letter two weeks ago and reported further details – the DOSB felt under pressure, also internally in talks with potential bidders and federations, to launch a propaganda offensive.
