32 degrees on Monday afternoon (12 August 2024) in Cologne city centre – and at the end of the sports summer, the cathedral city is once again in a state of emergency.
On Sunday (11 August) the Summer Olympics in Paris came to an end. Less than 24 hours later, the athletes arrived back on German soil.
German Olympic stars arrive in Cologne – everyone is waiting for a
They were ceremoniously received at Cologne Central Station by NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (49), Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (54) and Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker (67).
Thousands of fans also did not miss the opportunity; such a crowd with a sea of German flags is not usually seen on Monday afternoons in Cologne.
At around 1:15 p.m., the political trio on platform three of the main station did exactly what the people of Cologne have probably all done at some point: waited patiently for the train to finally arrive.
This is what happened at 1:28 p.m.: There was a lot of applause for the several hundred athletes who represented Germany in France over the past few weeks.
Precious metal for Germany in Paris
These athletes won Olympic medals
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Not present were the really big stars such as the men’s basketball team, the women’s soccer team or Alexander Zverev (27), who is already playing tournaments in North America again after his early Olympic exit.
The top German athletes clearly enjoyed the reception at the main train station and at Cologne Cathedral. They were able to mingle with the crowd on the cathedral steps.
First there was a group photo and then a performance by Saxophone player Andre Schnura (30), who gained international fame through his musical performances at the European Championships.
When he started playing, neither the athletes nor NRW Prime Minister Wüst could hold back. But they had to wait a long time for a star – the timing of Schnura’s performance also depended on him.
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After the events in Paris, a German Olympic team photo is not complete without Lukas Märtens (22). For the gold medalist of the Summer Games, bathing in the crowd was the greatest thing.
But as time went on, he increasingly had the impression that he had gotten lost in the hustle and bustle at the cathedral. While other athletes had been waiting on the cathedral steps for minutes, the 22-year-old was still nowhere to be seen.
Ultimately, there were several megaphone announcements for Märtens by an employee of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) so that the schedule could be adhered to to some extent.
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The nice thing: The acclaimed medal winners in particular took the time for photos and short conversations with the fans.
The crowds were huge, probably due to the summer season and the holidays that were still ongoing – in places it was a bit chaotic in the middle of Cologne city centre.
Nevertheless, it was a successful conclusion to the wild Olympic ride, especially for those who fulfilled a lifelong dream by taking part in the Olympics and winning a medal.
