Sailing Venue Selected by Hamburg 2024 Bid

(ATR) The Hamburg Olympic bid has chosen Kiel as its venue for sailing.

The German Olympic Sports Confederation, Hamburg authorities and the German Sailing Association announced the decision on Monday.

Kiel won the bidding competition with Cuxhaven, Lübeck-Travemünde and Rostock-Warnemünde to host the sailing regattas if the Hanseatic city is awarded the 2024 Games.

It followed the visit of a nine-member DOSB evaluation commission to each of the candidate cities last week. Among those on the panel were DOSB officials Bernhard Schwank, Christian Sachs and Hans Heinrich.

Schwank, a DOSB board member, said all four candidates "presented themselves well".

"The end result was a 'medal race' between Rostock / Warnemünde and Kiel."

"Kiel has a highly variable and challenging area," he added. "Kiel doesn't need to explain to anyone in the international sport of sailing."

Schwank said Kiel sailing's infrastructure offered the possibility to be flexible to meet the needs of teh IOC and International Sailing Federation. There is land available for a new Olympic sailing village.

Kiel, host of sailing regattas at the 1936 and 1972 Summer Olympics, was considered the favorite.

DOSB president Alfons Hörmann Kiel today described Kiel as a "world-class" sailing venue.

"We have the best sailing area and the best conditions," Kiel mayor Ulf Kämpfer said last week.

The next step for Hamburg 2024 is the formation of a bid team. Its structure and key officials are expected to be unveiled before the end of April.

Last month, Hamburg joined Boston and Rome in the race for the 2024 Games. Paris is set to throw its hat in the ring in the next six weeks. Baku, Budapest and Doha may also be interested.

The IOC will select the 2024 host at the 2017 Session in Lima, Peru.

Reported by Heinz Peter Kreuzer

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