#1 Thomas Bach Elected President of IOC
On September 9th at the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) all-members session in Buenos Aires, Argentina – the table was set for the Olympics for the next decade. Germany’s Thomas Bach was elected 9th President of the IOC thus becoming the most powerful person in sport.
After a campaign in which he was favoured from the outset, Bach won a convincing second-ballot decision – a lopsided victory that will help galvanize a strong leadership and unified IOC.
According to IOC rules, Bach will serve an 8-year term that can be extended to 12-years if approved by a members’ vote. That gives him plenty of time to implement his Olympic vision which includes reforming the site selection process, improving the sports program, and cracking down on drug cheats, match fixing and corruption.
Bach’s ability to give the Olympics a 21st century booster shot and lead the movement into a new era makes this GamesBids.com‘s #1 bid story of the year – one that could significantly impact the stories that are told about the Olympics and bidding for the next decade and beyond.
Former President Jacques Rogge served 12-years following the 21-year leadership of Juan Antonio Samaranch, so Bach is only the third IOC President in the past 34 years making this election a truly once-in-a-generation occurence and contender for top story of the decade.
As the leader of the IOC, Bach will influence sports federations, National Olympic Committees and hundreds of other sport bodies around the world.
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