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IOC President Thomas Bach
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DENIS BALIBOUSE / POOL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
As expected, Thomas Bach has been confirmed as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The 67-year-old was re-elected at the general assembly held via video conference.
Of 94 valid votes, 93 were in favor of Bach, and there was one vote against.
However, there was no opponent.
This is one of the reasons why his appointment for another four years is controversial, especially outside the IOC.
Bach's first term since his appointment in 2013 was marked by numerous crises.
Above all, the scandal surrounding Russia's state-orchestrated doping system and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi remain negative, as are corruption allegations such as the one in Rio 2016 against several IOC members.
Last year, the corona pandemic and the resulting postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games by one year also presented international sport with major challenges that continue to this day.
In addition, there was and is criticism, for example of a lack of transparency in the allocation of games and debates about human rights violations by host countries, such as in Beijing in 2022.
Bach's handling of these crises has repeatedly brought him criticism outside of the IOC.
Critics also interpret the fact that he did not meet with an opponent in his re-election as evidence of an unhealthy democratic deficit and too much power being concentrated on himself.
For Bach's supporters, on the other hand, the re-election represents stability for the IOC. In addition, the IOC generated record revenues from TV rights during his tenure.
In September 2013, Bach took over the top position in world sport, taking over from the Belgian Jacques Rogge.
He is the ninth president in the history of the IOC, of which he has been a full member since 1991.
As a fencer, he himself became an Olympic champion with the team in Montreal in 1976.
Bach works full-time as a business lawyer.
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