Steinmeier now supports Germany's Olympic bid for 2036

Steinmeier also highlighted the sporting framework conditions in the ARD interview: „Wir haben großartige Sportstätten. Wir haben eine sportbegeisterte Bevölkerung." This assessment is seen as a pillar of support for the ongoing bids of the three remaining German candidates Berlin, Munich, and Rhine-Ruhr/Cologne.

DOSB reacts cautiously optimistic

DOSB President Otto Fricke expressed his pleasure at the Federal President's change of mind and emphasized how important broad political support for the bid is on the international stage. Fricke said he had always understood Steinmeier to personally prefer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2040 or 2044 in Germany, but had not ruled out a bid for 2036. With regard to the symbolic significance of the year 2036, Fricke stated: „Unabhängig davon, ob die Spiele in diesem Jahr in Deutschland stattfinden, wird der deutsche Sport verantwortungsvoll mit der Bedeutung des Jahres 2036 umgehen".

Fricke added: „Daher ist der DOSB umso erfreuter, dass dies nun explizit klargestellt wurde." In the background is the fact that the 1936 Games took place under the Nazi rule of Adolf Hitler and were massively misused by the Nazis for propaganda purposes. Exactly one hundred years later, in 2036, this historical reference would be particularly visible if the Games were held in Germany again.

Three bidders after Hamburg's withdrawal

Following the vote of the Hamburg population against a bid in a referendum the week before, three German interested parties remain in the race. Berlin, Munich, and the Rhine-Ruhr/Cologne region officially submitted their bids to the DOSB on Thursday. While in Munich and in North Rhine-Westphalia citizens have already voted in referendums with clear majorities in favor of a bid, no such referendum is planned in Berlin – according to polls, however, a majority of the population there also supports an Olympic bid.

Internationally, the Asian region is considered the favorite for the allocation of the 2036 Summer Games by the International Olympic Committee. Both India and Qatar have expressed interest in hosting. Qatar was for a time considered a promising candidate, but due to the Iran war and attacks on the emirate, there are now doubts about a safe execution there. Should this trend continue, the chances of European bidders – including Germany – could rise. Already firmly assigned are the 2028 Summer Games to Los Angeles and the 2032 Summer Games to Brisbane in Australia.

International context and timeline

The DOSB wants to decide in September which of the three domestic bidders it will send into the international bidding process. A prerequisite for this, however, remains the successful establishment of the respective bid, which is why Steinmeier's updated position is, according to the Federal President's Office, tied to the outcome of this process. With the public support of the Federal President, the German bid now gains an additional political signal, which Fricke interpreted as an explicit clarification in the spirit of the DOSB.

The reactions from sports and politics also show that the discussion about the 2036 Olympics in Germany is not solely a sporting one, but also a societal one. The reference to the "Sommermärchen" and the sports-enthusiastic population is combined with the admonishing memory of 1936 – a balancing act that the DOSB, by its own account, wants to shape responsibly.