Felix Neureuther has again sharply criticized Thomas Bach and the role of the IOC President at the Beijing Winter Games. “Bach bowed to the Chinese system, he was part of it. These games were a political game ball,” said the former ski star to “Münchner Merkur/tz”.
Neureuther also disliked Bach’s photo with the German doubles, which the athletes themselves had already criticized: “At that moment it was all about the media attention and not about the athletes and medal winners. For me, the action was a symbol of where that IOC has moved. It’s not about the athletes, it’s about the effect.”
Neureuther “cannot imagine a German Olympic application under the current circumstances. The application criteria would have to change enormously for this to happen. Germany would be an ideal organizer with its enthusiasm for sports, but our population would find it difficult to agree with the current cost specifications and sustainability problems,” he said .
With Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, hosts of the Winter Games in 2026, Neureuther believes that a lot will change for the better. “This application was a stroke of luck, especially from the point of view of our rejected Munich application,” he said: “Many sports facilities already exist. Italy is a winter sports nation and the enthusiasm of the Italians is proverbial.”