The German federal government still regards its sports funding policy as well positioned, even though the medal table at the recent Olympic Games shows a negative trend.
Spokesman Stefan Kornelius told the dts news agency on Monday that “the objectives have been stated-also the need for sports funding and the necessary improvements that have now been decided or recognised”. He added that this downturn does not detract from the effort of athletes who have competed at the Games.
Kornelius said he believes the global sports landscape is changing dramatically and that German sports funding is “actually well configured”. With the reforms planned under the forthcoming Sports Funding Act, he expects the nation to set new performance targets once again. That, he said, is the aim of the legislation: to steer German sport in a direction that delivers results.
When asked why a country such as the Netherlands outperforms Germany in both summer and winter Olympic competitions, Kornelius declined to speculate. He noted that national ranking lists are subjective and that any specific reasons “should be examined by experts”. He urged that the issue not become a political affair.
Germany finished fifth in the overall medal table at the Winter Games in Italy, securing eight gold, ten silver and eight bronze medals for a total of 26. This is one medal fewer than at Beijing four years earlier and reflects four fewer Olympic victories. It is the first time since Sochi 2014 that Germany is not among the top three winter‑sporting nations.
