The half-time of the 131st Kiel Week was dominated by the Olympics on Wednesday at the Kiel-Schilkseee Olympic Centre. Shortly before the start of the medal finals in six Olympic disciplines, politicians from Hamburg and Kiel, DSV President Mona Küppers and Kieler Woche Sports Director Dirk Ramhorst used the sporting mountain festival to promote the joint Olympic bid to host the Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044.
Olympia: Why Hamburg is backing Kiel
Alongside Berlin, Munich and Rhine-Ruhr, Hamburg is also in the running to become the German candidate to host the Olympic Games in eleven to 19 years' time. Unlike its competitors, who have named both Kiel and Rostock-Warnemünde as possible sailing partners in their bids, Hamburg is focussing solely on Kiel. Here is an overview of Hamburg's Olympic bid with Kiel.
"The decision in favour of Kiel as a sailing location was an obvious one. One value of our Hamburg-Kiel concept is the issue of short distances. In principle, we only have the opportunity to really bring sailing in its entire spectrum very, very close to the actual Olympic venue," said Hamburg's State Councillor Christoph Holstein, explaining Kiel's unique selling point from Hamburg's perspective.
Christoph Holstein called on people to "have confidence in the Olympic bid". He also said against the backdrop of the surprisingly narrow failure of the referendum on the Olympic bid in Hamburg ten years ago on 29 November 2015: "We are a strong economic nation. We are a centre for science and research. We can do that. We have to credibly convey this confidence to the outside world."
On course for the Olympics: referendums in Hamburg and Kiel
Christoph Holstein announced the upcoming referendum for "in all probability on 31 May next year, immediately after the marathon", which is "actually always a great event" in Hamburg. The Hamburg Olympic candidates hope that this will create a "positive atmosphere". Regarding Kiel's citizens' referendum, Kiel's Lord Mayor said: "The earliest possible time that could make sense for us would be the mayoral election in November. The last possible time would be to do it together with Hamburg on the same day."
Support for the Hamburg-Kiel Olympic bid partnership came from Kieler Woche sports director Dirk Ramhorst, who assured: "We can do sailing on the water - and also stage it. I believe we are the benchmark in the global scene." DSV President Mona Küppers did not want to commit to a sailing location for the Olympic bid in Kiel, but said: "We have an incredibly comfortable situation in Germany: we have two areas where Olympic sailing competitions are possible."
However, Mona Küppers did give a small hint at the DSV headquarters in Kiel: "The mere fact that we are based here, that we are constantly expanding our location here in Kiel, should give an indication of what I would be very, very satisfied with." This certainly also applies to Kiel's Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer, who emphasised the importance of "learning from experience". Ulf Kämpfer said: "You get better and excellent from experience. And no sailing centre in Germany can claim that. Not only with the big Kieler Wochen, but also with the other events."
"A piece of glamour" for the Olympic bid
This also includes the Ocean Race Europe, which kicks off in Kiel on 10 August. Ulf Kämpfer also reflected on critical voices at the current Kieler Woche and explained: "We always gain incredible new experience every year and become stronger as a result. And it's the things that aren't easy that make you stronger. In the end, this is something that strengthens the quality of our application when you don't have 0815 conditions, but have to organise under the toughest conditions."
Ulf Kämpfer cited three sporting reasons in favour of his city as a sailing partner of Hamburg, but possibly also one of the other three applicants: the "real support among the population", "the location of the national sailing team" and "the reputation of Kiel as a sailing location in the world and also in the world's professional associations". That is why, according to Kämpfer on the Olympic potential of the Kiel sailing area, it is "a piece of glamour for a German bid".
