IOC President Thomas Bach sees 'new world order' ahead of L.A. Olympics

Graham Dunbar · The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 12:54 PM EST | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Thomas Bach says helium feels a uncommon calm successful his last weeks arsenic IOC president adjacent arsenic a "new satellite order" gains velocity up of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Bach led the International Olympic Committee done 2 locked-down Games successful a planetary pandemic and respective affected by Russian doping and subject aggression, among different crises.

His successor volition beryllium elected March 20 and inherit an IOC financially unafraid with aboriginal Olympic hosts that contiguous look unchangeable and reliable.

Still, the biggest lawsuit for the adjacent IOC president — the L.A. Summer Games — could yet situation Bach's religion successful the Olympics' powerfulness to unite the satellite successful peaceful contention and communal acceptance.

"We person a caller satellite bid successful the making, and this making … volition not hap without rumbling," Bach said this week, without criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump.

Signature Bach policies person been sex parity and inclusive acceptance of each 206 nationalist teams, positive exile athletes. Political neutrality is an perfect Bach clings to adjacent arsenic Trump has warned of denying visas to athletes based connected the government's sex interpretations.

"I americium besides convinced that President Trump and his medication volition afloat enactment the Olympic Games," Bach told The Associated Press successful a uncommon interrogation astatine IOC headquarters.

"He likes sport, truthful determination I don't spot a risk."

The American people, Bach added, "appreciate and emotion that the Games are astir athletics but they are astir much than sport. They volition privation to invited the athletes from each implicit the world."

The IOC has defended pistillate boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting — the Paris Olympic golden medalists. Both had been disqualified from the 2023 satellite championships tally by the Russian-backed International Boxing Association, which said they failed eligibility tests.

"These 2 women boxers person been calved arsenic women, they person been raised arsenic women, they person competed arsenic women and cipher ever claimed adjacent that they are transgender," Bach said successful AP's interview.

"What happened determination was a Russian-led misinformation run which past distorted the truth, the facts and present we person this unfortunate concern that these 2 athletes are considered to beryllium transgender. But. They. Are. Not."

Before the Paris Olympics, Bach warned of "deeply disturbing" trends, including "narrow self-interests trumping the regularisation of law."

"What I spot is precise heated treatment successful the United States," Bach told the AP. "But this is for the citizens of the United States to have. Our values are precise wide and connected those values the Olympic Games are based."

Pandemic and Russian doping

Bach's presidency since 2013 saw 2 Games impacted by Covid-19; 1 shadowed by Korean governmental tensions; respective affected by Russian doping and subject aggression; and 1 astir implode with a chaotic section organizing squad successful Rio de Janeiro that pulled the IOC into vote-buying allegations.

"I'm experiencing the archetypal play during my presidency wherever I bash not person an existential occupation of the Olympic Games oregon the Olympic Movement connected my desk," Bach said.

The 71-year-old German lawyer and 1976 Olympic golden medalist successful fencing leaves bureau successful June.

"I'm acceptable and precise blessed successful large health."

Future commercialized deals

A cardinal determination aboriginal successful Bach's presidency was extending NBC's broadcast rights successful the U.S. done 2032. Renewing oregon uncovering a caller spouse is simply a large determination for the adjacent president. Bach suggested a free-to-air web is important.

"You tin accidental of streaming, `They are paying specified a batch of money, let's spell for streaming.' But what does it mean for our values?" Bach said. "The Olympic Games has to beryllium accessible to everybody and not lone the ones that tin spend it. This equilibrium you person to find."

Diplomatic skills

Bach and predecessor Jacques Rogge were Olympic athletes who roseate to correspond the IOC with assorted heads of state.

"That is 1 of the privileges arsenic IOC president is that you get everybody connected the phone," Bach said. "I haven't experienced immoderate concern wherever idiosyncratic would person said, `I americium not funny to talk."'

The precocious Henry Kissinger "gave precise invaluable advice" successful real-world diplomacy.

Spy target?

Bach's imaginable arsenic a aboriginal Olympic person was wide from 1981 erstwhile helium and Sebastian Coe, a campaigner to win him, helped correspond athletes astatine a cardinal IOC gathering successful Baden-Baden, West Germany. He aboriginal worked for Horst Dassler and Adidas who reportedly were monitored for the Stasi, East Germany's concealed police.

Asked if determination was a Stasi record connected him, Bach said: "Not that I knew. I cannot imagine."

Bach had lukewarm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. Bach and the Olympics person been targets of Russian misinformation, cyber attacks and heavy fake videos during the past decennary of sanctioning the state-backed doping ungraded and fallout from the penetration of Ukraine.

Cleaning up voting

Bach's bequest includes changing however hosts are picked. No much blockbuster contests susceptible to vote-buying.

"The ambiance was conscionable not clean, not sober. It enactment the full credibility of the IOC successful doubt."

There were nary allegations of wrongdoing successful however the French Alps, Brisbane and Salt Lake City were selected arsenic hosts of the Olympics from 2030-2034.

Summer vacation

Bach's past time aft a three-month statesmanlike modulation is June 23 — officially Olympic Day.

After that?

"The archetypal 4 weeks I conjecture I volition sleep," helium said. "Then I volition bash a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela each unsocial and anticipation I get immoderate inspiration past for my future."