Thomas Bach
Thomas Bach (born 29 December 1953) is a German lawyer, former foil fencer, and Olympic gold medalist. He has served as the ninth and current president of the International Olympic Committee since 2013, the first ever Olympic champion to be elected to that position.
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Quotes
editAddress for the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics (2024)
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- This is the pinnacle of your Olympic journey. You have come to Paris as athletes. Now you are Olympians.
Stepping into the Olympic Village, you realise like generations of Olympians before: now I am part of something bigger than myself. Now we are part of an event that unites the world in peace.
In our Olympic world, there is no “global south” or “global north”. We all respect the same rules and each other. In our Olympic world, we all belong.
As Olympians, we care for each other. We do not only respect each other, we live in solidarity with each other. All of you have experienced this and benefitted from our Olympic solidarity on your long journey to finally becoming Olympians.
- In a world torn apart by wars and conflicts, it is thanks to this solidarity that we can all come together tonight, uniting the athletes from the territories of all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team.
Welcome to the best athletes of the world – welcome, Olympians!
Some may say, we in the Olympic world, we are dreamers.
But we are not the only ones.
And our dream is coming true tonight: a reality for everyone to see. Olympians from all around the globe, showing us what greatness we humans are capable of.
So I invite everybody: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired with the joy that only sport can give us. Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living life in peace, as the one and only humankind, united in all our diversity.
This is why tonight, with my heart full of emotions, I invite the whole world: let us celebrate this joy of sport together with all the athletes. Have faith in the future. Together, let us celebrate the best of our shared humanity.
Long live the Olympic Games! Long live France!
Address for the closing ceremonies of the Paris Olympics (2024)
edit- Dear fellow Olympians,
Despite all the tensions in our world, you came here from all the 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, to make the City of Light shine brighter than ever before.
Your performances were amazing. You competed fiercely against each other. Every contest on the edge of perfection. Every performance sparking excitement around the world. You showed us what greatness we humans are capable of.
During all this time, you lived peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic Village. You embraced each other. You respected each other, even if your countries are divided by war and conflict. You created a culture of peace.
This inspired all of us and billions of people around the globe. Thank you for making us dream. Thank you for making us believe in a better world for everyone.
- We know that the Olympic Games cannot create peace. But the Olympic Games can create a culture of peace that inspires the world. This is why I call on everyone who shares this Olympic spirit: let us live this culture of peace every single day.
