Overview
- Berlin announced its withdrawal on Thursday to avoid a likely poor showing at the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB) vote.
- DOSB evaluators had scored Berlin 74.6 out of 100, well below Munich (87) and Köln‑Rhein‑Ruhr (85), a gap officials said made success unlikely.
- City leaders blamed the Left party’s election win and public statements by its lead candidate for eroding support from sports federations.
- The withdrawal ends plans that included eastern German venues in Saxony, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, Schleswig‑Holstein and Brandenburg and follows about five million euros already spent on the bid.
- The DOSB will now pick the German candidate between Munich and Köln‑Rhein‑Ruhr at an extraordinary member meeting on Saturday, a decision that will shape which region hosts the national campaign.