Hamburg Confirmed as 2024 Olympic Bidder -- On the Scene

(ATR) Hamburg now officially has the task of bringing the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Germany.

The General Assembly of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) officially and unanimously approved of sending the Hanseatic city to bid for the biggest sporting spectacle in the world. Berlin dropped out of the running earlier this week.

The DOSB leadership got the clear vote for Hamburg it hoped for from the 410 delegates in attendance at the Church of St. Paul in Frankfurt. There were no abstentions.

DOSB president Alfons Hörmann stressed that Germany will conform with the Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms passed by the IOC in December. These may affect a bid race for the first time in 2024 with the goal of making bids smaller and more transparent.

"We want to be a model for the future of the Olympics and Paralympics."

In what Hörmann called a"grand gesture," Berlin Mayor Michael Müller was present at the Church of St. Paul. The SPD politician assured that the federal capital will support Hamburg, but admitted that he had not yet overcome the defeat: "I'm still a little sore."

On the other hand, Hamburg Mayor Olaf Scholz had reason to be happy and proud. He called it a "great honor" for the city and said that it is time to bring Germany its first Summer Olympics since 1972.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière thinks there are good opportunities for a Hamburg bid.

"We will have a strong and very competitive application," he said. "We want to do it in moderation and wise."

"We Germans have a lot to offer. So, do not be afraid of competitors such as Rome, Paris or Istanbul."

The IOC will choose a 2024 host at the 2017 IOC Session in Lima, Peru. Boston and Rome have declared an intention to bid with a decision expected from Paris later this year.

If Hamburg should fail on its first attempt, there is a chance the city could bid for 2028 as well. Germany has hosted two previous Summer Olympics: Berlin in 1936 and Munich in 1972. Applications for Berlin in 2000 and Leipzig in 2012 were not successful.

Germany has until September 15 to submit Hamburg's candidacy to the IOC. Citizens will vote on a referendum before the city is submitted.

In a recent survey, 65 percent of Hamburg citizens were in favor of hosting the Games. The DOSB has made public support a major part of the process. The bid by Munich to host the 2022 Winter Olympics failed due to citizen opposition.

Written by Heinz Peter Kreuzerin Frankfurt

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