Munich’s Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter has clearly positioned himself in the debate about the city’s possible Olympic bid. “I don’t see a chance for the Winter Games in Munich. That’s exactly where sustainability is difficult. If so, then summer games,” said the SPD politician to Bavarian radio. The interest in summer games is simply greater for the population. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) is starting a new attempt for an Olympic application.
With the “Your idea. Your games” campaign, the umbrella organization wants to win over German citizens for its project. The last Olympic Games were held in Germany in 1972. Subsequently, applications were unsuccessful in series, also because the citizens were against it. The DOSB is now initially considering a joint Olympic candidacy for several German cities for 2036 and 2040 in summer or 2038 and 2042 in winter.
According to Reiter, in competition with the international competition, this is “a unique asset that we can exploit”. The successful holding of the European Championships in the summer of 2022 makes the 65-year-old positive. Already in December, Reiter had shown himself open to an Olympic application. “It was a sensational event that the people of Munich enthusiastically attended,” said Reiter. Since then, he has also seen chances “that we can win the referendum if we prepare well.”