International Olympic Committee president to step down in 2024 Who's the next?

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has announced that he will step down from his role next year, stating that the Olympic movement would be "best served with a change in leadership."

Bach, who has led the IOC since September 2013, will conclude his 12-year term in 2024, a limit established as part of anti-corruption reforms following the Salt Lake City bidding scandal, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

In a speech delivered in Paris, Bach, 70, addressed growing speculation about his potential continuation as IOC President, which had been fueled by members suggesting changes to the Olympic Charter to extend his leadership. However, Bach ended the rumors, emphasizing the need for new leadership to navigate the Olympics through an increasingly digital and politically complex environment.

“New times are calling for new leaders,” Bach said, pausing to hold back tears as he addressed the IOC membership. “I, with my age, am not the best captain. I know with this decision I am disappointing many of you.”

An election to choose Bach's successor is scheduled for March 18-21 in Greece, when the 115-strong IOC membership next convenes. Bach has indicated that there will be a transition period with his successor before he formally steps down in June 2024.

One of the leading contenders to replace Bach is Lord Sebastian Coe, the current head of World Athletics and a two-time Olympic champion in the 1,500 meters. Coe, who also led the organizing committee for the successful 2012 London Olympics, is considered highly qualified for the role. However, Coe and Bach have not always seen eye-to-eye, particularly over Coe’s tougher stance on Russia during the state doping scandal and the invasion of Ukraine.

At the 142nd session of the IOC, which took place in Paris in July 2024, an amendment to the Olympic Charter that would have allowed Bach to expand his powers and go for a new term was rejected. Several members of the organization came up with such an initiative at the 141st session of the IOC.

The election of the new IOC head will be held in March 2025 in Greece.