Berlin has officially withdrawn its bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games two days before the location would be decided. After Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) announced the withdrawal on Thursday morning, only Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr remain contenders for the 2036, 2040, and 2044 Games.
The competition had long ceased to be a true three-way contest, instead becoming a duel between southern and western Germany. The lack of a citizens’ referendum in Berlin, which Munich and North Rhine-Westphalia had overwhelmingly approved, negatively impacted the chances, as did the unclear political situation at the time of the bid.
The black-red coalition government that had championed the Olympic plans was only voted out of office this past Sunday in the Berlin House of Representatives election. Elif Eralp (Die Linke), the election winner who could become the new mayor, is an opponent of the Olympic bid and has made this clear.
On Tuesday evening, the DOSB’s (German Olympic Sports Confederation) evaluation commission also published its final report on each location’s Olympic feasibility. The criteria included venue readiness, travel distances, and international appeal. While Munich scored 87 out of 100 points and Cologne scored 85, Berlin didn’t manage to exceed 74.6 points.
