The German Olympic Sports Confederation didn't see it coming. On Sunday, Hamburg voted against submitting a bid to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. This setback may come as a surprise, given that referendums held in Munich and the Cologne region in recent months resulted in a resounding victory. This time, 652.603 voters cast their ballots, and 54,9% opposed the project. This outcome is reminiscent of 2015, when Hamburg also abandoned its Olympic dreams in a referendum.
"A missed opportunity for our city"
Hamburg presented a project that utilized 76% of existing competition venues and emphasized that federal government financial support was guaranteed. This was not enough to convince the authorities. Many citizens were eagerly awaiting the Games and are disappointed by the referendum result. I deeply regret this vote, but I thank all those who supported the goal of bringing the Games to Hamburg., reacted Mayor Peter Tschentscher. We knew from the previous referendum that skepticism towards the Olympic Games is more pronounced in Hamburg than in many other cities. Nevertheless, we decided to maintain our bid because, given the current context, the Olympic and Paralympic Games represent a tremendous opportunity for everyone. »
« Fears of rising rents and the cost of living in Hamburg, or of a proliferation of construction sites, are unfounded – but we have not managed to dispel them for many in recent weeks."It's regrettable," says Katharina Fegebank, deputy mayor. The result of this referendum is a profound disappointment and a missed opportunity for our city. The majority of Hamburg residents voted against their city's bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we naturally respect that choice. Nevertheless, we still hope to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany and will support the city or region designated by the German Olympic Sports Confederation. »
« A majority of Germans support the organization of these Games »
The four-way race thus becomes a three-way race between Berlin, Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr, and Munich. Hamburg's "no" vote This does not change the fact that a majority of Germans are in favor of holding these Games in Germany., underlines Thomas Weikert, president of the DOSB. This observation is corroborated not only by the two-thirds majority results obtained in the referendums of Munich, North Rhine-Westphalia and Kiel, but also by the consistently high scores, above 70%, in the polls. »
« The result in Hamburg – however great the disappointment at the rejection of the Hanseatic city's bid – proves that it was wise to offer candidates the opportunity to hold referendums and other forms of participation before making a democratic decision regarding the German candidate. " adds Otto Fricke, Director General of the DOSB. The three remaining candidates must submit their proposals before June 4, and a decision will be made at the extraordinary general meeting on September 26.
