Berlin’s Olympics commissioner Kaweh Niroomand believes comments by Elif Eralp of The Left, who could become the German capital’s next mayor after her party came first in Sunday’s election, have damaged the city’s Olympic bid more than its weaker showing in an official evaluation.
“The far more serious thing is that Ms Eralp dismissed the entire bid within 45 seconds, creating enormous uncertainty among the sports federations and significantly reducing our chances,” Niroomand told dpa.
Advertisement
Eralp has said she considers the Olympic bid and the “many more millions and billions” that would be spent on hosting the Games a “waste of taxpayer money,” adding that she sees “no benefit for Berlin.”
The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) is due to select Germany’s candidate on Saturday for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Berlin, Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr are in the race.
Niroomand criticized Eralp for taking her position without first speaking to organizers and said some positions should be reconsidered after an election.
He said that after organizers offered talks and the board of trustees supporting Berlin’s bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games sent Eralp an open letter, he was told that “everything has basically already been said.”
Advertisement
Niroomand said he did not expect talks to take place before Saturday’s decision.
A day after the election, Eralp said the issue had effectively been settled, arguing that Berliners had also voted against hosting the Games.
Niroomand said he was neither particularly surprised nor troubled that DOSB evaluators rated rival bids from Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr more highly than Berlin on Tuesday.
He said the evaluation criteria had been established only after Berlin submitted its concept and that organizers had raised concerns with the DOSB about how international appeal was assessed, an area he described as one of Berlin’s strengths.
Munich received 87 out of 100 points and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr 85, with both rated “very good.”
Berlin scored 74.6 points, earning a “good” rating.
