35 Facts About Thomas Bach

Thomas Bach was born on 29 December 1953 and is a German lawyer, former Olympic foil fencer and gold medalists.

Thomas Bach has been serving as the ninth and current president of the International Olympic Committee since 10 September 2013, the first ever Olympic champion to be elected for that position.

Thomas Bach grew up in Tauberbischofsheim, where he lived with his parents until 1977.

Thomas Bach is a former foil fencer who competed for West Germany.

Thomas Bach won a team gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics, as well as silver, gold and bronze team medals at the 1973,1977 and 1979 world championships, respectively.

Thomas Bach completed his last match on 26 October 1980 in Shanghai.

On 11 November 2017, Thomas Bach was formally granted the use of the post-nominal letters "OLY".

Thomas Bach served as the President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, prior to becoming President of the International Olympic Committee.

Thomas Bach was replaced by Alfons Hormann, and remained a member of the DOSB Executive Board.

Thomas Bach would continue serving as the head of Michael Weinig AG Company, a company in the industrial woodworking machinery industry that has its headquarters in Thomas Bach's hometown of Tauberbischofsheim.

In 2012, Thomas Bach headed Munich's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

On 9 May 2013, Thomas Bach confirmed that he would run for President of the International Olympic Committee.

Thomas Bach was elected to an eight-year term as IOC President at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires on 10 September 2013.

Thomas Bach secured 49 votes in the final round of voting, giving him the majority needed to be elected.

Thomas Bach succeeded Jacques Rogge, who had served as IOC President from 2001 to 2013.

Thomas Bach would be eligible to run for a second four-year term at the 134th IOC Session in 2019 until 2025.

Thomas Bach officially moved into the IOC presidential office at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 17 September 2013, a week after being elected president.

At a meeting of the 137th session of the International Olympic Committee on 10 March 2021, Thomas Bach was re-elected to an additional four-year term as President.

Thomas Bach stated that the current bidding process "asks too much, too early".

The first bidding process over which Thomas Bach presided was for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

President Thomas Bach presided over the electoral procedures at the 131st IOC Session in Lima, Peru.

On 5 March 2020, Bloomberg News reported that Thomas Bach had stated "Neither the word 'cancellation' nor the word 'postponement' were even mentioned" regarding the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo amidst the COVID-19 pandemic at the IOC's executive board meeting the previous day.

One of the biggest challenges President Thomas Bach has been faced with as IOC President is having to deal with Russia's state-sponsored doping scandal.

Thomas Bach was harshly criticized for what many see as turning a blind eye to Russia's state-sponsored Olympic doping effort.

Jim Walden, attorney for whistleblower Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, called Thomas Bach's move to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee following the 2018 Winter Olympics, despite the failed drug tests during the Games, "weakness in the face of evil".

Thomas Bach has been criticized by German media for his perceived friendliness towards Russia.

Thomas Bach was even seen as instrumental in lifting the World Anti-Doping Agency's ban on Russian athletes in 2018.

Thomas Bach has expressed support for participation of Russian and Belorussian athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics, despite the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.

On 22 March 2023, Thomas Bach further reiterated his support for reinstating Russian and Belarusian athletes, expressing opposition to political influence on sports and "any suggestion that Russians should be treated as if they have collective guilt".

Thomas Bach's visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was opposed by survivor groups, some of which accused Thomas Bach of using the historic place politically to "justify holding of the Olympics by force under the pandemic".

Thomas Bach served as an interviewer in the video, in which Peng stated that she was safe and well.

Zhang and Thomas Bach had met and worked together on the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Thomas Bach was criticised by Marina Hyde in The Guardian for comparing the IOC positively to FIFA with regard to corruption.

Twenty-nine journalists signed an open letter to Thomas Bach calling for him to condemn Azerbaijan's jailing of dissenters and attacks on freedom of expression.

In 2017, Thomas Bach faced a backlash for his decision to rename synchronized swimming as artistic swimming.