Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit "has brought up the German capital as a potential host for Summer Olympics," according to the SID. Wowereit: "If it goes toward a summer bid, Berlin would be a good choice. However, we aren't even close to that." Sunday's "decisive referendum against a bid of Munich to host the 2022 Winter Olympics was a clear setback for the idea of Olympic Games in Germany." Wowereit spokesperson Richard Meng said that "the no for a German Winter Olympics bid does not necessarily mean that a Berlin Summer Olympics bid would have better chances" (SID, 11/11).
FAILED BID: BILD reported German winter sports athletes "showed their disappointment about the public's no for a Munich bid for the 2022 Winter Games."
Olympic Gold Medalist skier Maria Höfl-Riesch: "It's sad that the people are so narrow-minded. We don't dare to try anything new anymore. I'm shocked."
Retired ski jumper Sven Hannawald: "A hammering loss, which I would have never expected. A fiasco."
Skier Felix Neureuther: "Tough. We are missing the chance to portray Germany positive."
Munich Mayor Christian Ude: "I deeply regret the result. It wasn't the concept, but the increasing skepticism toward major sporting events."
Green Party member Ludwig Hartmann: "The vote isn't a sign against sports but against the greed for profit of the IOC" (BILD, 11/11).
