Longtime International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach to Step Down in June

The former fencer will leave the IOC after a 12-year presidency.

Thomas Bach during the Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Paris on Aug. 11, 2024. / Rob Schumacher-Imagn Images

When the Winter Olympics get underway next Feb. 6 in Italy, the International Olympic Committee will officially have a new leader.

IOC president Thomas Bach will formally resign from the committee upon the completion of his presidential term on June 23, the Olympic governing body announced Wednesday. The 71-year-old former fencer could have remained on the committee until 2033, the year of his 80th birthday.

Per the committee, Bach handed the IOC his resignation "despite calls from IOC members" to extend his presidency.

Seven candidates are vying to succeed Bach in the committee's March 20 presidential election, including legendary British former runner Sebastian Coe and Zimbabwean former swimmer Kirsty Coventry; the latter is reputed to be Bach's preferred successor.

Bach, who won gold in the men's team foil event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, guided the IOC through three Summer and three Winter Olympics—including the pandemic-checked Tokyo Games of 2021, politically fraught Beijing Games of 2022, and the highly successful Paris Games of 2024.

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