German Thomas Bach, who has led the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2013, announced on Saturday that he would not seek a third term from 2025, which would have meant changing the Olympic Charter.
“After deep deliberation, […] “I have come to the conclusion that I should not ask for my mandate to be extended,” in order to “protect the credibility” of the Olympic movement, the leader said at the close of the 142e IOC session in Paris, where the Olympic Games end on Sunday.
The 70-year-old former foil fencer, Olympic team champion at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, recalled that he had been “one of the promoters” of term limits in an institution hit by governance scandals.
When he was elected in 2013, the Bavarian claimed to embody the renewal of Olympism – notably with less costly and more environmentally friendly Games – with the motto “change or be changed”.
“This mantra applies to myself as well,” he said, before pausing for a moment, tears welling in his eyes.
The IOC will therefore elect his successor at its 143rde session in Athens, from March 18 to 21, 2025, while Thomas Bach will remain in office until June.
The debate on a possible third term was opened last October in Bombay, during the previous session of the body, when several IOC members asked the leader to extend.
He had until then reserved his response, the ethics committee recommending waiting until the end of the Paris Olympics so as not to pollute the competition.