In April 2025 the German Olympic Sports Confederation postponed its choice of a German candidate for the Olympic Games. The decision had been planned for its regular assembly on 6 December. It moved to an extraordinary assembly by the end of September 2026 at the latest.
The interested regions received time until June 2026 “um die Bewerbung gesellschaftlich abzusichern”, to secure public support for the bid. Board member Volker Bouffier said: “Fit machen muss mehr bedeuten als ein Bekenntnis, dass wir Olympische Spiele wollen.” Getting fit must mean more than declaring that we want the Olympic Games.
The assembly met in Baden-Baden in September 2026. By then Hamburg’s bid had failed in a referendum, and Berlin had withdrawn.