Berlin withdraws from race to host summer Olympics

Berlin has pulled out of the competition to host the next Summer Olympics, leaving Munich and the Rhine/Ruhr region as the only remaining contenders, according to local media reports. This decision marks the end of Berlin's involvement in the bidding process for the 2036, 2040, and 2044 Summer Games, as announced by the German Olympic Committee (DOSB) on Saturday.

The city authorities have yet to comment on the matter, but they are set to hold a press conference on Thursday to clarify their position. Initially, four German regions were in the running for the prestigious event, but Berlin was the first to withdraw. Hamburg, another contender, also dropped out following an unfavorable outcome in a public consultation in May.

Just a few months ago, the Berlin government had expressed its keen interest in hosting the Olympics again, but this shift in stance might be due to the outcome of the recent local elections in the German capital. Elif Eralp, a leading candidate for the far-left Die Linke party, recently stated that she does not support a bid for Berlin to host the Games.

On Tuesday, an evaluation committee from the DOSB ranked the Munich and Rhine/Ruhr bids highly, with Berlin placed third in the competition.