[International Observation] Bach announced that he will not seek re-election. Who will be the next President of the International Olympic Committee?
2024-08-19
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According to Xinhua News Agency, IOC President Bach said at the closing ceremony of the 142nd IOC General Assembly on the 10th of this month that the IOC will elect a new president at a meeting held in Ancient Olympia, Greece in March 2025, and said that he would no longer seek to continue to serve as president. He also said that the new president will take over on June 24, 2025.
In the past two years, many IOC members have publicly called for the revision of the Olympic Charter on different occasions to allow Bach to stay in office until 2029. After all, the IOC currently has no more suitable candidate than Bach. In particular, at the IOC General Assembly held in Mumbai last October, IOC members publicly called for it, and even Bach himself said that he did not rule out the possibility of staying in office after the expiration of his term. But now, he suddenly announced that he would retire, a decision that was unexpected by all parties.
Faced with Bach's "determination to leave", major media have begun to "guess" about the candidate for his successor. Who will Bach's successor be? Undoubtedly, it will become a hot topic in the world Olympic community in the next six months.
IOC President Bach
Served as the Olympic "head" for 11 years
The Thomas Bach Era is Coming to an End
In his "departure speech" on August 10, Bach said that the International Olympic Committee is facing new challenges in the current context. His successor not only needs to adapt to a "digital age", but also to cope with a world with increasing political pressure. During the speech, he choked up and showed his reluctance to leave.
Bach, who will be 71 at the end of the year, was a German foil athlete and won the Olympic gold medal in 1976. He also won the European Championships foil team championship and several domestic awards. After retiring, Bach went to college to study economics and law. After several years of hard work, he successfully completed his studies and obtained a doctorate in economic law. He is also a language genius. In addition to his native German, he is also fluent in English, French and Spanish, which adds important chips to his future competition for the position of President of the International Olympic Committee.
After graduating from university, Bach obtained a lawyer's qualification with his profound legal knowledge. He worked as a practicing lawyer for several years and later entered the business world. He worked in the marketing department of Adidas and several other companies. In 1982, Bach joined the German Olympic Committee.
In 1991, the 38-year-old Bach was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee, officially starting his career in sports management. In 2013, he officially served as the ninth president of the International Olympic Committee, which has lasted for 11 years. As the most powerful and prestigious president after Samaranch, during his tenure, Bach successively launched the "Olympic Agenda 2020" and the "Olympic Agenda 2020+5", and continuously promoted IOC reform, athlete rights protection, and international sports development.
Many people think that Bach is easy-going and friendly. Over the years, he has made many friends in the Olympic community, rarely made enemies, and has a very good reputation. His bright smile is the impression he left on most people. Although Bach has held a high position in the International Olympic Committee for a long time, he is not ostentatious. Most of the time he remains silent and rarely becomes a news figure in the media. During his tenure, he has won a lot of respect and praise.
Several potential candidates emerge
Who will compete for the IOC presidency?
With Bach announcing that he will not seek re-election, who will take over the position as his successor has become a hot topic of speculation. The latest report from the Associated Press lists six potential candidates: IOC Vice President Nicole Hofferts, IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch, Jordanian Prince Faisal Hussein, Zimbabwe's former Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and International Cycling Union President David Lappartien.
Among them, Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe was once a swimming champion. She won the gold medal in the women's 200m backstroke at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the women's 200m backstroke at the 2008 Beijing Olympics on behalf of Zimbabwe. After retiring from swimming, she devoted herself to politics and is currently the Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Entertainment of Zimbabwe.
In addition, the current IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch is also a strong contender. His father served as the IOC President for 21 years and has rich experience and outstanding achievements. Therefore, whether Samaranch Jr. will continue his father's career is also one of the highlights of the next election. Regarding Bach's announcement of his resignation, Samaranch Jr. said in an interview that the news surprised him. Because it was too sudden, he still needs time to consider whether to run for election.
The previous nine chairmen were all from Europe and the United States.
Can Asian faces stand out?
According to the relevant provisions of the Olympic Charter, the President of the International Olympic Committee must be elected from among the members by secret ballot at the General Assembly of the International Olympic Committee. The first term is 8 years, and he can be re-elected once for a term of 4 years. In other words, the candidate for the President of the International Olympic Committee must be a current member of the International Olympic Committee, regardless of nationality, generally not older than 70 years old, and have the ability and qualifications to promote the development of the Olympic movement.
It is reported that eight of the nine IOC presidents so far are from Europe and one is from the United States. Therefore, whether there will be new faces from Asia among the candidates for the 10th IOC president has also become a focus and topic of heated discussion and attention from the outside world.
In response, IOC member and International Gymnastics Federation President Watanabe Morinari expressed his willingness to run for the election, saying that "the help of the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Japanese government is very necessary." Subsequently, Japanese Olympic Committee Executive Director Ogura Takashi clearly expressed his support for Watanabe Morinari at a press conference on the 11th, saying that he was "willing to provide him with help."
Previously, Kim Yun-yong from South Korea served as IOC vice president for four years, but lost the competition for president with Rogge in 2001 and was stripped of his IOC member status for corruption.
Although it is too early for the IOC to nominate candidates, many media around the world have already started to "guess" the candidates. In his resignation statement, Bach also said that "if the new president needs it, he will provide help at any time."
It is reported that the election of the IOC President will be held at the congress held in Greece in March next year, and the new President will take office in June of the same year.
Intern Yuan Xiaoyu Cover News reporter Wang Meng Comprehensive Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News
