Update on the Olympic bid: Six professional associations are in favour of Kiel

​On 26 September, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) intends to decide on the national candidate for a bid to host the Olympic Games in Germany in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Munich, Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr and Berlin are vying for the right to host the Games. The sailing venue remains to be decided for two of the three candidates. Berlin has – partly due to its geographical proximity – has already chosen Rostock-Warnemünde as its partner for the bid to become the capital. Munich and Cologne-Rhein-Ruhr have so far left open the choice between Kiel and Warnemünde.

Strong support for Kiel’s bid to host the Olympics

With the DOSB’s decision just over two weeks away, Kiel is receiving a boost from six regional sailing associations. The associations from Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are backing Kiel’s bid. Together, they account for around 75 per cent of sailors in Germany.

Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister-President Daniel Günther (CDU) said of the commitment:

​This show of solidarity gives us a real boost. The whole sailing world knows about Kiel Week – if you want to be successful internationally, there’s no getting round Kiel.”

Olympic sailing regattas were previously held in 1936 and 1972 in the well-established sailing area of Schleswig-Holstein’s “Sailing City”. The Bavarian Sailing Association (BSV) and the North Rhine-Westphalia Sailing Association (SVNRW) – two of the largest specialist associations under the umbrella of the German Sailing Association (DSV) – are among those that have come out in favour of Kiel.

The arguments include the “ideal venue”, the “splendour of a world-class sailing city”, the “tried-and-tested infrastructure” and also “the only German national training centre in Kiel”. Both the BSV and the SVNRW have published position papers and submitted their assessments to the bid committees for Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr.

Her belief is that the fact that Kiel Week is held on home turf could give a German bid extra appeal. In the BYC Statement It states: “From the federation’s point of view, the decisive factors are infrastructure, the quality of the sailing area, competitive sport structures and the new joint youth training centre in Kiel.” The Bavarian conclusion: “The BSV is firmly in favour of Kiel-Schilksee as the sailing venue for a German Olympic bid.”

The arguments in favour of Kiel-Schilksee

The SVNRW puts forward a very similar argument. Its 12-page position paper states (Download here from the SVNRW press release): “The challenging sailing waters, the tried-and-tested infrastructure and the links with top-level and youth competitive sport in Germany all speak in favour of the venue.” It goes on to say that it is important “that a decision in favour of Kiel not only serves the Games, but also strengthens existing structures in the long term”. From the perspective of the North Rhine-Westphalia Sailing Association, Kiel has “steadily developed into Germany’s leading sailing venue”.

According to the SVNRW’s position paper, Kiel combines Olympic experience with a high-performing, modern and sustainably developed infrastructure, excellent sailing venues and a high level of organisational expertise. Furthermore, Kiel-Schilksee, unlike any other German sailing venue, combines Olympic tradition and experience, the national training centre of the German Sailing Association, internationally recognised sailing waters and a long-term strategy for promoting German elite and youth sport.

​As early as May, five federations and five clubs had already set their sights on the young talent, when they laid the foundations for a joint training centre for talented young players in Kiel. An infrastructure designed to support the development of young talent is currently being established around the Schilksee Olympic Centre, with a view to potential future Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany. The framework agreement for this was signed on 22 May by the state sailing associations of Bavaria, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein, as well as five clubs.

The national Olympic qualifying event will take place on 26 September in Baden-Baden

On 26 September, the DOSB will decide which German candidate will go on to compete in the international race for the right to host the Olympic Games. Berlin, Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr and Munich submitted their final proposals to the DOSB by the deadline at the beginning of June. The final decision on which city will represent Germany in the international selection process will be made on 26 September at an extraordinary general meeting of the DOSB in Baden-Baden.