Germany bids to host 2040 Olympics

Germany is looking to potentially host the 2040 Olympics, the government announced on Wednesday.

Germany had originally planned to bid for the 2036 Olympics exactly 100 years after Berlin hosted the 1936 Olympics but the reference to the Nazi made the government defer it to four more years. The 1936 edition became popularly known as Nazi Games.

The 2040 edition marks the 50th year of German reunification and hence, hosting the 2040 Olympics gives Germany a better view.

The German government signed a memorandum of understanding with the German Olympic Sports Federation, along with the regions and cities that are interested in hosting the mega quadrennial event.

Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria regions have expressed their interest in hosting the Summer Games.

The hosting bid is backed by almost seven million Euros ($7.6 million) of funding that is expected to be done between 2024 and 2027.

Germany’s Interior Minister, Nancy Fraser, said it was Germany’s best chance to show what values the country stands for. “It is a chance to show what values our liberal democracy stands for. Germany is a great host for international sporting events,” Faeser said, in a statement.

The country recently successfully hosted the Euro 2024 football championship.

Germany aims to use existing sports facilities in various cities without building new stadiums that would cost a lot of money.

Meanwhile, the French Alps will host the 2030 Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the news on Wednesday.

The Games will be held at the world’s largest interconnected ski area, which covers 600 km of runs between Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens.

The Winter Games will be organised in Haute-Savoie, Savoie, Briançon and Nice, including Lake Geneva and the Mediterranean Sea.

In the same announcement, Salt Lake City was awarded the hosting rights for the 2034 Winter Olympics. The venue was decided following an election through a voting process by the International Olympic Committee.