Thomas Bach Ends Historic IOC Presidency After 12 Years
THOMAS BACH's eventful 12-year tenure as president of the International Olympic Committee comes to an end on Monday when he hands over the reins to Kirsty Coventry, the first woman and African to hold sport's most powerful political office.
The 71-year-old German lawyer, a 1976 Olympic team fencing champion, faced many challenges during his time in power.
AFP Sport picks out three:
Russia 'the elephant in the room'
President Vladimir Putin was the first person to ring Bach to congratulate him on his election in 2013 -- little did Bach realise how Russia was to dog his presidency.
The state-sponsored doping scandal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games and Russia breaking the Olympic Truce twice, in 2014 and 2022, taxed his patience and that of the IOC movement.
Bach faced pressure from both sides before the 2024 Paris Games and in the end permitted Russian athletes to compete despite the invasion of Ukraine, but only after being strictly vetted and under a neutral flag.
For Michael Payne, a former head of IOC marketing, Russia was the 'large elephant in the room' and Bach was in a 'no-win situation.'
His fellow former IOC marketing executive Terrence Burns, who lived and worked in Russia in the 1990s, said Bach was one of many leaders fooled by Putin.
'On doping he should have been harsher,' Burns told AFP.
'But let's be honest, the whole thing was almost unbelievable.
'On Ukraine, you were damned if you do and damned if you don't.
'I don't think any western government or politician has ever figured out Russia... nor did he.'
Hugh Robertson, now an IOC member and the British sports minister responsible for overseeing the delivery of the highly successful 2012 London Games, believes Bach played his hand well over the Paris Games.
'The balance he struck over Russian participation in Paris was in line with the Olympic Charter,' Robertson told AFP.
'He took very strong action against the government, banned any events in Russia, any national representation and any national symbols.'
Calling Japan's bluff over Covid
Bach had 'a very tough presidency and never caught a break' said Payne, but he always held his nerve.
No more so than when Bach resisted calls from within Japan for the Tokyo Games to be cancelled, not just postponed to 2021, because of the Covid pandemic.
Payne says Bach's painful memories of missing the Moscow Games in 1980 due to a boycott linked to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, had left their mark. The German said the IOC would not pull the plug.
In addition, the ramifications of cancelling Tokyo would have been enormous for the IOC.
'Think about if Tokyo had not taken place,' said Payne.
'Would Beijing (the 2022 Winter Games) have taken place as well?
'The Olympic movement losing four years is maybe not existential, but boy it would have been tough.'
In the end the Games did go ahead but the majority of athletes performed in empty stadia as local organisers banned spectators.
Burns says it was a tour de force from Bach.
'Honestly, I think it was his sheer willpower that made those Games happen when everyone, and I mean everyone, in the world doubted him,' said the American.
'Japan tried to pull out. He called their bluff. Smart.'
Robertson saw it from 'inside the bubble' as he was then chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA).
'Of course it was a huge disappointment that there were no spectators but a generation of athletes got the chance to compete in an Olympic Games,' said the 62-year-old.
'It probably would not have been the case had Bach not been in charge.
'I think athletes around the world owe Thomas Bach a huge vote of thanks.'
Robust finances
Bach departs with the IOC's finances in rude health. He has boasted of a '60% growth in revenues' during his dozen years at the helm.
Payne says he has indeed increased revenues but the 67-year-old Irishman cautioned that 'with increasing revenues partners become more demanding,' adding 'just because you have contracts locked up does not mean you do not change and evolve.'
Robertson praises Bach for handing over to Coventry an IOC 'in an extremely robust financial position.'
He added the policy of locking sponsors into long-term deals 'gave the IOC financial certainty at an exceptionally difficult time and we are seeing the benefit of that now.'
Burns for his part draws on an aphorism of a former US president.
'Ronald Reagan used to say are you better off today than you were four years ago?
'By any measure, Bach enriched the IOC coffers.
'In the end that is all that matters.'
In summary
'He will go down as one of the three great IOC presidents along with Pierre de Coubertin and Juan Antonio Samaranch.' -- Payne
'A transformational president in unprecedented times.' -- Burns
'Thomas Bach had the most difficult deck of cards to play of any IOC president. He has played them exceptionally well and left the IOC stronger than when he took over.' -- Robertson
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Kessler beats Yastremska to win Nottingham Open
LONDON: McCartney Kessler clinched the first grass-court title of her career as the American beat Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska in the Nottingham Open final on Sunday. Kessler ignored a 90-minute rain delay to earn a 6-4, 7-5 victory that secured her fourth WTA title. The world number 42 had ended Katie Boulter's 13-match winning run in the Nottingham Open by knocking out the Briton in the quarter-finals. The 25-year-old also ousted top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the first round and wasted little time setting the tone against Yastremska. Kessler broke the world number 46 in the opening game and a second break put her in complete control. She was leading 5-4 when the showers forced the players back to the locker room, but the American returned to finish off the first set quickly. Kessler was within touching distance of the title after a break at 3-3 in the second set and then had five match points on Yastremska's serve. The Ukranian staved off defeat and broke when Kessler served for the title for the first time. But Kessler showed her mental fortitude, breaking straight back and then serving out the victory at the second attempt. "I am super excited to have another title, another great week of tennis for me," she said. "It was a tighter second set than I wanted at 5-3, but it made it more exciting." Yastremska lost her second final of the year but admitted the ongoing conflict with Russia in her home country made tennis of secondary importance. "It's been also been a tough week with what was going on in Ukraine so I have had to deal with a lot of things this week," she said. "I want to say I am proud of myself, I am improving some things I am working on. Not the win, but I hope soon, it's day-by-day." — AFP
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Bublik produces masterclass to beat Medvedev in Halle final
Tennis - Halle Open - OWL Arena, Halle, Germany - June 22, 2025 Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik in action during the final against Russia's Daniil Medvedev REUTERS/Leon Kuegeler (Reuters) -Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik beat Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his career to claim the Halle title on Sunday, winning 6-3 7-6(4) to continue his resurgence. Bublik had lost his previous six meetings against Russian Medvedev, winning only one set in the process, but produced a superb exhibition of grass-court tennis to end that streak. Former world number one Medvedev has now lost his last six Tour-level finals. So often the showman, Bublik showed his new maturity with a calm display in the final as he continued the form that saw him beat world number one Jannik Sinner in the last 16 this week. He broke the Medvedev serve in the eighth game of the first set and then held his own with ease to move ahead. Medvedev had a set point when Bublik served at 4-5 in the second set but could do nothing as his wily opponent feathered a delicate drop shot from behind the baseline. Third seed Medvedev then led 4-1 in the tiebreaker but the unseeded Bublik stormed back to complete a memorable week. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; editing by Clare Fallon)
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Prabowo denies G7 snub in Russia visit
Boosting ties: Putin (right) and Prabowo at a signing ceremony after their meeting in Saint Peterburg. Prabowo and Putin held talks a day earlier, both hailing ties and calling for increased cooperation. — AFP President Prabowo Subianto denied snubbing the G7 summit to visit Russia, in a speech at an economic forum alongside Vladimir Putin. The former general declined an invitation to the G7 in Canada earlier this week in favour of talks with Putin in Saint Petersburg, a decision that raised concerns about Jakarta moving closer to Moscow. Speaking at Russia's landmark economic forum on Friday, Prabowo played down the decision. 'I was asked why I did not attend the G7, but I attended the Saint Petersburg Forum 2025. 'It's not because I did not respect the G7, it's because I gave my commitment to attend this forum before they invited me,' Prabowo told the event's plenary session, where he sat next to Putin on stage. 'That's the only reason. So please don't read too much into the event... We want to be friends with everybody,' he added. Prabowo and Putin held talks a day earlier, both hailing ties and calling for increased cooperation. Indonesia maintains a neutral foreign policy, walking the diplomatic tightrope between regional competitors Beijing and Washington. However, Prabowo has sought to diversify Jakarta's alliances instead of relying solely on Western partners, causing anxiety that he could deviate from the traditional non-aligned foreign policy. Closer ties with Moscow have sparked concern in Indonesia's neighbour Australia. — AFP
