Western German Olympics bid wins public support in referendum

Around 1.4 million of the four million eligible voters cast their ballots in the referendum held across 17 municipalities in North-Rhine Westphalia.

The ‘Yes’ initiative won an average of 66 percent support, with support exceeding 70 percent in some municipalities.

A vote was also successful by a 63.5 percent majority in the northern city of Kiel on Sunday, which would host sailing events if a bid were successful.

Enough ballots were cast in 16 of the 17 municipalities, other than Herten, where mountain bike competitions were planned. As a result, the municipality is no longer part of the bid.

The Rhine/Ruhr region — which includes the cities of Cologne, Duesseldorf and Dortmund — is among four German bids alongside Berlin, Munich and Hamburg.

The German Olympic Committee (DOSB) will consider the four bids before submitting one to the International Olympic Committee in late September.

Rather than picking a specific year, the DOSB is keeping its options open in order to have the best chance of hosting at least one edition from 2036 to 2044.

The North-Rhine Westphalia vote was held six months after a similar initiative was put to a vote in Munich, which won public support by a two-thirds majority.

After the Munich and Rhine/Ruhr referenda, Hamburg will hold a vote on May 31.

Though not binding, a positive result would be influential in the selection process by the DOSB, while the International Olympic Committee is likely to view public support as a key factor in awarding the Games.

The last summer Olympics on German soil took place in 1972, in Munich, then part of West Germany, while Berlin also hosted the games in 1936.