Germany could bid for 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, reveals Bach

By Tom Degun

October 17 - Thomas Bach, the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) President, has revealed that the country could mount a bid for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, most likely with Berlin or Hamburg, depending on which city hosts the 2020 Games.

The 2020 bid race currently taking place sees Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo up against each other, with the winner set to be decided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its Session in Buenos Aires on September 7 next year.

Should Madrid win, it is unlikely that the IOC would take the Summer Olympics straight back to mainland Europe in 2024.

But should Istanbul or Tokyo win, it would open the door for a successful German bid in 2024.

"The DOSB must evaluate the election for the 2020 Games host because we have a strong interest in a summer bid through Berlin and Hamburg," said Bach, who is also an IOC vice-president.

Bach's comments come after the Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit recently claimed that Berlin was exploring a bid for the 2024 or 2028 Games.

The German capital, which hosted the infamous 1936 "Nazi" Olympics, last bid for the Olympics and Paralympics in 2000, but was eliminated in the second round as the event was ultimately awarded to Sydney in Australia.

Thomas Bach is said to be a respectable replacement for Jacques Rogge when he steps down as IOC President

But a German bid could undoubtedly be strong in 2024, particularly with Bach at the helm, with many tipping him to become the next IOC President when Jacques Rogge steps down next year.

A 2024 bid would come after Munich bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, which were ultimately awarded to Pyeongchang, and it increases the likelihood that the race to host the 2024 Games will be one of the strongest in history.

Having settled its revenue sharing dispute with the IOC, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is likely to launch a formidable event, while Paris is also considered a strong contender for the competition, which would come exactly 100 years after the French capital last hosted the Olympics in 1924.

South Africa is also tipped to bid in a move to stage the first ever Olympics in Paralympics in Africa, while Toronto in Canada, St Petersburg in Russia and Baku in Azerbaijan are also rumoured as potential 2024 bidders.

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