Tributes Rock Bach at IOC Session
By Ed Hula
On the eve of the vote to pick his successor, IOC President Thomas Bach was hailed by colleagues for 12 years of service that they say changed the Olympic Movement.
The hour-long genuflection came after a succession of reports on IOC matters like finance, the Paris Olympics and Bach’s signature Olympic Agenda reform package. There were no surprises, no untoward business, no waves to wobble the boat on a day meant to laud Bach.
The tribute began with a nearly 30-minute video produced by Olympic Broadcasting Services covering Bach’s presidential tenure. It was chock full of plaudits from athletes, Nobel laureates, the chair of U.S. rightsholder Comcast Brian Thompson, Alibaba’s Jack Ma, French President Emmanuel Macron and Pierre de Coubertin biographer George Hirthler .
When the lights came back on, IOC members launched into a long string of bon mots, but not before they confirmed Bach as honorary president for life. Bach, 73, can serve until age 80 as an IOC member, but plans to resign from that seat when he steps down as president on June 23. He will be the only living ex-president of the IOC. His predecessor, Jacques Rogge, died in 2020.
Bach was visibly emotional from the outpouring of affection, fighting back tears, his voice quivering as he declared that his success “is not the work of one man. We should never forget that this Olympic movement is bigger than ourselves.”
“You see a happy man. I have given what I could give,” he told the session,
The timing of the farewell for Bach on this opening day clears the deck for the attention coming Thursday for the election of his successor. IOC members are keeping their preferences private, resulting in wild speculation. Predictions that Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe will win on the first ballot are matched by guesses that it is Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch who wins outright. Sebastian Coe, despite his Olympic pedigree, won’t win say some handicappers.
Other candidates aren’t given much of a chance. Jordanian Prince Feisal Al Hussein, cycling federation chief David Lappartient, ski federation president Johan Eliasch and Morinari Watanabe, the president of the gymnastics federation round out the field. It’s the biggest group of candidates ever for the IOC presidency. The secret ballot is Thursday afternoon and will follow the election for three open seats on the Executive Board.
Baron Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant of Belgium is the only candidate for the vice president seat held by Nichole Hoevertsz from Aruba.
There are two regular seats open on the board. Norwegian Kristin Kloster and Emma Terho from Finland each hold a seat with hopes of reelection. Challengers are Spyros Caparalos from Greece, Chilean Nevin Ilic and Romanian Octavian Morariu.
Written by Ed Hula
With contributions from Coasta Navarino by Mara Xenou and Brian Pinelli