Thomas Bach named Honorary President for Life of IOC

Thomas Bach has been elected as Honorary President for Life of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He will take on this role after his presidency ends on June 23, 2025. This decision was unanimously accepted by IOC Members during a session where they honored his leadership over the past 12 years. IOC Vice-President Nicole Hoevertsz praised Bach for modernizing the Olympic Movement. The session also celebrated the success of the Olympic Agenda reforms. These reforms, initiated under Bach's leadership, have significantly improved the IOC's financial stability, with commercial revenues increasing by 60% since 2012. Presentations during the session included a film highlighting these achievements. Boxing will be featured in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, as confirmed by the IOC. This decision follows a recommendation by the Olympic Programme Commission and provisional recognition of World Boxing. The IOC reported on the successful Winter Youth Olympic Games held in Gangwon 2024, which had more young athletes participating than ever before. The Games also helped reinforce the legacy of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. Preparations for upcoming Olympic events were discussed, including the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina and the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Dakar 2026, the next Summer Youth Olympic Games, also provided updates on its venue construction and youth engagement initiatives. In addition, several IOC elections took place during the session. New members and Vice-Presidents were elected, and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, was chosen to host the IOC Session in 2027. Finally, the session recognized Paris 2024 for implementing the most rigorous clean sport program ever, aiming to uphold integrity during the upcoming Olympic Games.