The IOC, under President Thomas Bach, has adopted a declaration that is directed against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Image: EPA
The International Olympic Committee warns against Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin. Behind this lies IOC President Thomas Bach’s concern for the existence of his institution.
“Tonight we can say: Russia has delivered what it promised. What took decades in other parts of the world was achieved here in Sochi in just seven years.” These are the words of the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on February 23, 2014, Thomas Bach’s words at the end of the Winter Games in Sochi, for End of Vladimir Putin’s Games.
In 2018 in Pyeongchang, Bach stood on the boards with the president of South Korea and the sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, in front of them ice hockey players from both parts of Korea who had just lost 8-0 to Switzerland. Bach’s message: “We should understand that we are part of something bigger, that it’s not just about hockey,” reported one player. It’s about more than an outcome. Bigger. This is Bach’s leitmotif.
