Germany records worst Olympic performance since reunification
2024-08-14
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Despite the "XXL" super-large team, the number of medals won by Germany in the Paris Olympics this year was significantly reduced compared to the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, setting the worst record since the reunification of East and West Germany, and the flagship projects that they used to excel in also failed completely. On the long road to the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, German sports still have a lot of work to do.
Image source: Internet
If we look back at the overall results of the Summer Olympics since the reunification of East and West Germany, we will find how obvious the downward trend of German sports performance is. In Barcelona in 1992, German athletes won 82 medals; in the Athens Olympics in 2004, the total number fell below 50; in the Tokyo Olympics, there were only 37 medals; in this year's Paris Olympics, the German team won only 33 medals: 12 gold medals, 13 silver medals, and 8 bronze medals. Even if the expected goal of the top ten in the medal table is finally achieved, this number and trend are still shocking.
Jörg Bügner, sports director of the German Athletics Association, summed up the problem aptly: "We write Excel spreadsheets while others train - it can't be like this."
For some time, there has been increasing criticism of German sports, with issues such as overburdened coaches, low salaries, and sports funding frequently sparking discussions. "Action needs to be taken on many levels. We need more coaches and better compensation for them," Thomas Weikert, president of the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB), recently admitted on German TV station ZDF. In addition, sports in schools and kindergartens and lack of funding are also issues.
"We started these competitions with different goals," said Olaf Tabor, chef de mission for Germany, who set his sights on medals. The goal of once again finishing in the top 10 was achieved, but there are many issues to watch in German sports after hosts France celebrated their success and even the much smaller Dutch team emerged as a real contender.
CDU leader Merz criticized: "Although the achievements in top sports are widely recognized, one thing is clear after this Olympics: In sports, Germany has not reached the level we can and should reach."
Frank Ullrich, chairman of the German Bundestag's Sports Committee, believes that "priorities must be set in promoting top-level sports and, most importantly, clear and consistent goals must be set." He complained that the DOSB only set "minimum goals" for the Olympics. He hopes that the DOSB will have different requirements, "We need to put pressure on the way forward." At the end of the Paris Olympics, the DOSB announced the "fifth place vision" for the next Olympics. However, it is still unclear how to achieve this goal.
Many experts and politicians in Germany believe that a separate bid for the Summer Olympics would be a way to achieve greater success. Germany could consider bidding for the Summer Olympics as early as 2036, and more likely in 2040. The government supports this intention, and Chancellor Scholz visited the Jean Bouin Stadium twice during the Paris Olympics and talked with athletes.
“We can’t bring about change overnight. This is a medium-term process, hopefully not a marathon,” Tabor said of the outlook.
Special Contributor Li Yijin
