Germany's speed skating and short track body is taking its legal dispute with broadcaster ARD to a higher court after Hamburg judges ruled that most parts of a critical report into the DESG were "permissible expressions of opinion."

An ARD report at the start of the Winter Olympics in February alleged there were irregularities at the association and a strained relationship between some athletes and the leadership.

The DESG banned two ARD journalists from a post-Olympics press conference and took the German broadcaster to court, where only one part of the reporting was deemed to be incorrect in a ruling on Monday.

The body said in a statement on Tuesday that the decision was an "incorrect legal view" and said it hopes the Hamburg Higher Regional Court will rule differently.

"We will go through all necessary instances to ensure our clear evidence against these false 'opinions' is properly assessed," DESG president Matthias Grosse said.

ARD sports coordinator Axel Balkausky responded in a statement: "They are even more worthy of criticism after the Hamburg Regional Court's decision, the DESG president's subsequent statements and the fact that two ARD journalists were kept away from a press conference held by the association."