Tempers Flare Over German Olympic Bid

(ATR) The president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation may be unhappy with the new IOC process for Olympic bids, but he’s still willing to try to secure a third summer Olympics for the country.

In a press conference Monday, DOSB chief Alfons Hörmann criticized the IOC decision naming Brisbane as the preferred location for the 2032 Olympics. That move effectively ended the efforts of a group from the Rhine-Westphalian region of Germany seeking 2032.

Hörmann accused the IOC of "false statements" in its explanation last week for the choice of Brisbane for further consideration.

The IOC had stated last week that the DOSB did not want to continue in the continuous dialogue phase that’s now the rule for the early stages of Olympic bids. According to Kristin Kloster Aasen, head of the Future Host Summer Commission, the DOSB had said in February that it "will not be part of the further dialogue phase." That is the basis for the recommendation regarding the German Bid," the Norwegian IOC member said.

"Contrary to the representations in the IOC press conference on February 24, 2021, there was neither a meeting in February 2021 nor a formal decision by the DOSB for or against entering into the continuous dialogue,"Hörmann declared in a virtual press conference today.

A statement from the IOC notes that two meetings were held in January with the head of the 2032 bid and representatives from the DOSB. But the IOC says for reasons it does now know the Germans chose not to participate in discussions held in early February with those cities intending to remain in dialogue with the IOC.

The IOC also responded to objections from the DOSB over the role of IOC member John Coates in the decision. The influential Australian led the team which developed the new bidding process that selected the Brisbane bid. But the IOC says that’s where it stops. Coates had nothing to do with the process that reviewed the bids for 2032 says an IOC statement.

"To clarify: IOC Vice President John Coates, in accordance with the "IOC Conflict of Interest" regulations, did not participate in any of the deliberations and decisions of the IOC Executive Board concerning the 2032 Olympic Games. Compliance with these regulations is monitored by the IOC Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer in the meetings of the IOC Executive Board," says the IOC.

The IOC choice for Brisbane led North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Armin Laschet to complain the DOSB failed to back the bid. He said the DOSB did not have a vision "for what can be achieved" from Germany’s western region nor a sense of "what is going on at the IOC."

Hörmann said he believes that it would be wrong to cling to a bid by the Rhine-Ruhr Initiative for the 2032 Summer Games.

"Our understanding is that with the decision made, the awarding of the Games to Australia is a given. Those who have the hope that the tide will change completely will see themselves wiser in a few months," he said.

Relations between the DOSB and the private initiative from Rhein Ruhr City have not been the best. Hörmann accused the initiative, headed by manager Michael Mronz, of failing to pass on "noteworthy information" to Laschet.

Despite the breach, Hörmann seems willing to find a way to work with the Rhein-Ruhr bid after reflecting with DOSB member organizations and political leaders.

"Whether, when, where and with which concept a new attempt will be made in due course," he says.

In principle, the DOSB shows interest in further cooperation with the Rhine-Ruhr City initiative after a clarifying phone call between Hörmann and Laschet.

Hörmann said they had quickly agreed "that we would calmly replay the cards without any time pressure." He also said that the private Rhine-Ruhr initiative led by Michael Mronz could "continue well and successfully" despite the angry initial response from the bid leader towards the DOSB.

But Hörmann made it clear that as future bid plans develop, he still cannot imagine a German bid for 2036, the centennial of the Berlin Olympics held under the spell of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi rule.

Written by Piet Kreuzer

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