Overview
- At its Frankfurt assembly, the DOSB approved a roadmap and evaluation matrix and set 26 September 2026 in Baden-Baden for the extraordinary vote to choose a candidate.
- Thomas Bach urged delegates to proceed with a German bid, as fresh polling showed broad public backing and Munich’s referendum passed with 66.4% support; the Bundestag also moved to exempt medal bonuses from tax and raised the tax threshold for club events.
- The DOSB pressed concerns that the draft Sportfördergesetz would give politicians de facto veto power over a new Spitzensportagentur, which it says risks infringing sport autonomy and drawing IOC scrutiny.
- A decision on who may vote on the final candidate—only Olympic federations or all 103 DOSB members—remains unresolved, with final bid concepts due by 4 June 2026 and regional votes planned in Rhein-Ruhr (19 April) and Hamburg (31 May).
- Ethics commission chair Thomas de Maizière criticized the lack of robust safeguarding structures, noting only 25 of 102 member bodies use the DOSB’s central reporting office and urging faster uptake ahead of a planned federally backed Safe Sport center in 2027.