Hours after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) chose Berlin over Valencia Spain and Split Croatia to host the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Berlin’s Mayor Klaus Wowereit began to campaign for a Berlin Olympic bid. He said, “Berlin is ready. We are well equipped for the Olympics, we are a born candidate. The awarding of the track and field world championships is an especially good reference”.
In 2007 the Handball World Championships will also take place in Berlin, but what will look best on the city’s resume is the 2006 World Cup being held in June and July. The city is the designated site for the championship game and will host six matches during the soccer tournament.
If Berlin bids for the 2016 or 2020 Summer Games reports say it will likely have a showdown with Hamburg, which lost to Leipzig as the German candidate.
Although he is optimistic about bidding Wowereit said a bid depends largely on who wins the 2012 Games. “We have to wait to see where the 2012 Games go. If they go to Paris then a bid for 2020 at the earliest wouldn’t make sense”.
Berlin’s chances to host the Games in the next 20 years would diminish if any of the European contenders such as Paris, Madrid, London or Moscow host the 2012 Games.
German Interior Minister Otto Schily warned the Mayor about getting too far ahead of himself. He said, “we shouldn’t start talking about the Olympics again”. He told the IAAF council meeting in Helsinki, “we’re just getting over the painful decision (in Leipzig)”.
