Thomas Bach's remarkable 12-year tenure as president of the International Olympic Committee IOC concludes this Monday, as he passes leadership to Kirsty Coventry-the first woman and first African to hold the world's most influential role in sport.
The 71-year-old German, an Olympic fencing champion in 1976, turned lawyer, has presided over one of the most challenging eras in Olympic history.
News Central highlights three defining issues Bach faced during his presidency:
Russia: The Unyielding Challenge From the very beginning, Vladimir Putin's Russia cast a long shadow over Bach's time in charge. Putin was the first to congratulate Bach in 2013, yet the subsequent doping scandal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games and Russia's violation of the Olympic Truce in 2014 and 2022 severely tested the IOC's resolve.
Bach's decision to allow vetted Russian athletes to compete under a neutral flag at the 2024 Paris Games drew mixed reactions. Former IOC marketing chief Michael Payne called Russia the "large elephant in the room" and acknowledged Bach's "no-win situation." Other observers noted that Bach was among many leaders misled by Putin, suggesting a tougher stance on doping might have been warranted.