International Olympic Committee officially has a new President

Germany's Thomas Bach has been elected the new President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Today (September 11), the IOC officially announced that Thomas Bach became the new President of the IOC after the 125th election session of the Commission in Buenos Aires.

Bach won a large number of votes compared to four other candidates running in the second round of voting. Mr. Bach attracted 49 votes, more than the 29 votes of his closest rival, Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico.

As the new successor, Bach will be the ninth IOC President, replacing Belgium's Jacques Rogge after 13 years in office since 2001. Bach's term will last for eight years, with an option to extend for another four years.

Thomas Bach - New President of the IOC (photo: olympic.org)

The 59-year-old German is also the first IOC president to have won a gold medal in fencing at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Bach also won the world championship title at a sporting event in Argentina in 1967 and in 1977.

Bach also served as President of the German Olympic Committee. He is a long-time member of the IOC and heads the Legal Commission, which investigates anti-doping. That is why he is highly trusted in his new role.

Bach’s victory for the new presidency further confirms Europe’s position in the IOC’s leadership. All previous IOC presidents have been of European origin, except for Avery Brundage, who held the presidency from 1952 to 1972 and was an American./.

According to VOV - DT