THE PRESIDENT of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, says he intends to step down after his second term ends next year.
The German lawmaker, who has been in power since 2013, surprised members at a session during the Paris Games, saying he would not continue despite being asked.
The extension would have required a change to the Olympic constitution that limits the president to 12 years – a first term of eight years and a second term of four years, which he personally helped write.
“After 12 years in the office of the president of the IOC, our organization helps a lot by changing the leadership. New times call for new leaders,” he said in an emotional speech.
A new IOC president will be elected in March 2025 at a session in ancient Olympia and will take office in June of that year, Bach said.
No member has yet publicly campaigned to follow him.
The 1976 Olympic telegraph champion who joined the Olympic organization as a member in 1991, Bach has reigned supreme since taking over from his predecessor Jacques Rogge 11 years ago.
He introduced radical changes to speed up the introduction of sports into the Olympic program, as well as the bidding process and organization of the Games, to reduce overall costs and make the event more attractive to potential cities.
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