Hamburg rejects Olympic bid for second time, political fallout begins

Hamburg has decisively rejected a bid to host the Olympic Games, with nearly 55 percent of voters opposing the proposal in a referendum. The clear 'no' means the city will not pursue hosting the Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. This outcome marks Hamburg's second failed attempt to secure the Olympics, following a similar referendum in 2015 where 51.6 percent of voters were against the bid. Voter turnout for the recent referendum was 49.6 percent, with approximately 1.3 million eligible voters aged 16 and over participating. Notably, no district within the city favored the Olympic bid. Following the referendum's result, Mayor Peter Tschentscher officially withdrew Hamburg's application from the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative. Both the DOSB and IOC expressed regret over the decision, acknowledging Hamburg's concept as compelling. With Hamburg out, the DOSB is now evaluating three other potential German candidates: Munich and the Rhein-Ruhr region, both of which saw approximately 66 percent support in their respective referendums, and Berlin, which opted against a public vote. The DOSB is scheduled to announce its chosen candidate for the international bidding process on September 26. Kiel, a potential sailing venue for Hamburg's bid, previously voted in favor of hosting by 63.5 percent in April and now hopes to be considered by other German applicants.

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Both regretted it very much. They also always confirmed that they considered it a convincing concept.