Olympic Bid: The race won't begin until after September 26

Experts from the German Sport University Cologne discuss the DOSB election, the IOC’s ‘Fit for the Future’ reform process and Germany’s chances of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Berlin, Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr or Munich: on 26 September, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) will decide which German candidate will be allowed to bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games between 2036 and 2044. However, the national decision is by no means the end of the road to hosting this major event. On the contrary: for the German candidate, this is only the start of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) international selection process.

The rules now apply that differ from those in previous bids to host the Olympic Games. The IOC has fundamentally changed its bidding process and further developed it as part of the ‘Fit for the Future’ reform process. Cities and regions are to be given more time to refine their proposals and receive greater support from the IOC.

Experts at the German Sport University Cologne are closely monitoring these developments, including Professor Stephan Wassong, Director of the Olympic Studies Centre at the German Sport University Cologne. His research focuses, amongst other things, on the Olympic Movement and the history of the Olympic Games. He says: “Under former IOC President Thomas Bach, the IOC had already introduced a dialogue-based process comprising the Continuous Dialogue and the Targeted Dialogue. Now another intermediate stage is being added: the Strategic Dialogue. With this, the IOC aims to structure the selection process even more rigorously whilst, at the same time, giving the candidates the opportunity to further develop their proposals,” explains Wassong.

However, the German candidates still have a long way to go. First up is the vote at the DOSB General Assembly on 26 September. With Berlin, Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr and Munich, three different concepts are vying for the votes of the DOSB members and the national sports federations. The positive referendums in Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr and Munich could give them a slight advantage, says Professor Jürgen Mittag, an expert in sports policy and head of the Institute of European Sport Development and Leisure Studies at the German Sport University Cologne: “In the past, Olympic bids have repeatedly failed due to a lack of public support. The positive referendums in Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr and Munich are therefore a decisive factor, but on the whole say little about the viability of the proposals.” According to Mittag, the argument that ‘it is Germany’s turn again’ does not hold water with the IOC either. “In the current bid cycle, alongside the quality of the bid, geopolitical factors, the strength of potential rival candidates, economic interests and the IOC’s strategic considerations regarding narratives and legacy will also play a role,” Mittag is convinced.

For Professor Ansgar Thiel, Rector of the German Sport University Cologne, the significance of potentially hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games lies above all in the long-term opportunities for Cologne and the region. In an interview, he describes the Games as “a major project for the region’s future”. He emphasises that it is crucial for a bid not to focus solely on the major sporting event itself. If investments were to benefit the region in the long term – for example, in sports facilities, transport or urban development – the Games could create lasting added value. A wide range of opportunities could also arise for the German Sport University Cologne: as a scientific partner, a centre for research and a platform for exchange between academia, sport, politics and society.

The German candidate who wins the DOSB election at the end of September will not necessarily be shortlisted by the IOC straight away. For the time being, they will remain in what is known as the ‘Continuous Dialogue’ with the IOC. From March 2027, the IOC can then decide which cities and regions will be included in the newly introduced ‘Strategic Dialogue’. At that stage, the requirements will become more binding. “The IOC wants to prevent cities from investing enormous sums in a bid for years on end without receiving a realistic assessment of their chances in the meantime,” says Wassong. The new procedure could therefore become not only more transparent but also more cost-effective.

In detailed interviews, the GSU experts explain the similarities and differences between the German proposals, which other international candidates are in the running, and why 26 September is just the beginning: 

• Prof. Dr Jürgen Mittag: “Three different visions of the Olympic Games are competing with one another”
• Prof. Dr Stephan Wassong: “The path to the Olympic Games is increasingly becoming a dialogue”
• Prof. Dr Ansgar Thiel: “The Olympic Games in Cologne – a major project for the region’s future”

On the day of the DOSB’s decision, we will also publish a statement by the Rector of the German Sport University, Professor Ansgar Thiel, regarding the selection of the German candidate. 

Contacts:

Prof. Dr Stephan Wassong
Olympic Studies Centre
Tel.: +49 221 4982-3821
eMail: wassong(at)dshs-koeln.de

Prof. Dr Jürgen Mittag
Institute of European Sport Development and Leisure Studies
Tel.: +49 221 4982-2690
eMail: j.mittag(at)dshs-koeln.de

Professor Dr Ansgar Thiel
Rector of the German Sport University Cologne
Tel.: +49 221 4982-2000
eMail: rektor(at)dshs-koeln.de

translated by DeepL