The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) decided on Saturday (Sept. 26) to which concept Germany will use in the next stage of the bidding process for the 2036, 2040, or 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games. KölnRheinRuhr was not selected—the choice fell on Munich. Berlin had withdrawn its bid earlier.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and DOSB President Thomas Weikert announced the result this afternoon at the DOSB General Assembly at the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden. ARD broadcast the decision live on television.
For FC Schalke 04, this means the prospect of making the VELTINS Arena available as a unique swimming venue during the Olympic and Paralympic Games has come to an end. The KölnRheinRuhr proposal called for temporarily converting the stadium for swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming, with a capacity of up to 60,000 spectators.
Regardless of the outcome of the national selection process, support from the region remains a key part of the bid process. In Gelsenkirchen in April, 74.2 percent of voters supported participation in the joint bid by the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr region.
FC Schalke 04 would like to thank everyone involved who has worked on the concept over the past few months and championed the idea of an Olympic swimming venue at Schalke. At the same time, the club is looking ahead to the future development of the site and the region.
Matthias Tillmann, CEO of FC Schalke 04, emphasizes: “Of course, we would have been delighted if KölnRheinRuhr had been awarded the bid. At the same time, we respect the DOSB’s decision. We would like to thank everyone who worked on this bid with such great dedication. The idea of hosting Olympic and Paralympic swimming events at the VELTINS Arena in front of up to 60,000 spectators was extraordinary and demonstrated the potential our region and our city have to offer. We can be proud of that, regardless of the outcome of today’s decision.”
