The Olympic Games are not just a major sporting event—they are the major sporting event. From modest beginnings, they have developed into a mega-event that attracts global attention and enthusiasm every four years, while also prompting criticism. They represent the largest and most significant stage for the “youth of the world,” where the very best are awarded medals..

This also applies to the Paralympic Games. First held in 1948, they have taken place shortly after the Olympic Games at the same venue since 1988. Athletes with physical or intellectual impairments take center stage. In 2024 in Paris, 4,400 athletes from 169 countries participated.

The Games were last held on German soil in 1972, in Munich. More than half a century later, there is strong interest in Germany to host them once again. Los Angeles and Brisbane have been selected for 2028 and 2032, while Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, or “Cologne Rhine-Ruhr” could be candidates for 2036, 2040, or 2044. The German Olympic Sports Confederation must decide on the most suitable bid, while the final decision rests with the International Olympic Committee.