Germany selects Munich for Olympics bid; would be first in country since disastrous 1972 Games

Munich has been selected by the German Olympic Committee as the country's bid to host the Summer Olympics. The city will compete to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 games. According to Channel News Asia, Munich beat out the Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr region for the bid.

The decision was announced by German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Baden-Baden. The Local Germany and Channel News Asia both reported that Munich was chosen over the Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr region. Berlin and Hamburg had also been in the running, but Berlin withdrew on Thursday, as reported by Le Monde English, and Hamburg pulled out in May.

The Munich bid centres on the Olympic Park in the north of the city, which was built for a previous Olympics. This will be Germany's first Olympics since the 1972 games, which were marred by disaster, as reported by The Times of Israel. If the 2036 games are successful, it would mark 100 years since the Nazi-hosted 1936 Games, also according to The Times of Israel. Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder said that the goal is to present a united country, from north to south and from east to west.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, Channel News Asia, RFI English, Le Monde English, The Local Germany — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.