Presidents of the IOC. International Olympic Committee. Thomas Bach

A lot of outstanding personalities visited the post of IOC president, only ten people. The last of them, T. Bach, was elected in 2013 and holds this post at the present time. In this article, IOC presidents are briefly represented.

IOC as an organization

IOC is the highest organ of the Olympic movement, acting on an ongoing basis at the present time. The International Olympic Committee is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. Its headquarters are located in Switzerland (Lausanne). The charter document of this organization is the Charter of the Olympic Games, a modern version of which was adopted on July 14, 2001. English and French are the official languages of the IOC.

The International Olympic Committee was established in Paris on June 23, 1894. Pierre de Coubertin, a French teacher and public figure, later became its president, initiated the initiative. It was in 1894 that it was decided to revive the Olympic Games. The IOC was entrusted with the task of organizing them.

The Olympic Games (summer and winter) are held once in 4 years. IOC decides on the date and place of their conduct, on their program. This organization has the exclusive right to the Olympic flag, symbol, anthem and motto. For the duration of the Games, the IOC delegates the right to control the technical side of the competition to international sports federations.

According to the regulations currently in force, the IOC member is elected for a period of 8 years. Then he can be re-elected for the same period. IOC presidents are elected by its members by secret ballot. Their term of office is also 8 years. Then, every 4 years, the powers can be extended. This opportunity was used by many IOC presidents.

D. Vikelas

This man held a responsible post for a short time, from 1894 to 1896. Demetrius Vikelas is a famous writer from Greece. In 1894, he participated in the Constituent Congress, held in Paris. Since the Games were supposed to take place in Athens, the president, according to the 1st Olympic Charter, was supposed to be from Greece. It should be noted that the first president of the IOC made a significant contribution to overcoming many political and economic difficulties. The first Olympiad took place in Athens in 1896. After the Games, Wiekelas transferred the post to the next president, Pierre de Coubertin.

Pierre de Coubertin

This French baron, public figure and scientist held a responsible post for a long time, from 1896 to 1925. The modern Olympic Games, as we have already said, were founded by him. At the high post, Pierre de Coubertin did a lot for the formation and development of the Olympic movement. Idealism and romanticism are qualities inherent in this person. They did not prevent him with flexibility, patience, practicality and perseverance to hold the Olympic movement through the trials and upheavals of the first 30 years.

J. Lucas, an American scientist who wrote the book "The Modern Olympic Games" (published in 1980), noted that if you combine everything written by Pierre de Coubertin, you will get a 25-volume collection of works. Coubertin headed the IOC for almost 30 years. Baron Godfroi de Bleon was his closest confidant. This man was the president of the IOC in 1916-1919, when Coubertin joined the French army during the First World War. The second president of the IOC died in 1937. Remains of Pierre rest in Lausanne. In Olympia, at the request of Coubertin, his heart is buried.

Henri de Baie-Latour

This man served as president from 1925 to 1942. He was born in 1876 in Brussels. The Count de Baye-Latour went in for sports, graduated from the university, and then served as ambassador to the Netherlands.

Henri became a member of the IOC in 1903, and in 1905 he held the Olympic Congress in Brussels. A year later he organized an NOC in Belgium. Henri successfully held the seventh Olympic Games in Antwerp (1920). In 1925 he was elected president of the IOC. His predecessor, Coubertin, said of him that the insistent activity of de Baie-Latour provided significant success and an excellent organization for the Olympic Congress. For 17 years, Henri headed the IOC, until his death (in 1942). Five Olympic Games were held under his leadership. The number of participants has increased from 2,594 to 3,980, and the number of states represented by them has increased from 29 to 49. The Olympic Games were basically completed.

It should be noted that some analysts see de Baiyet-Latour's actions as extremes of the politicization of sports. This was expressed in the decision to hold the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin (in 1936). In addition, Henry refused to admit athletes from the USSR to participate in them. At the presidency, Henry was a supporter of the principles of Coubertin. He said that to unify good intentions and fight against promiscuous ideas, one should adopt a single doctrine. It is necessary to publish laws common to all participants of the Games, while respecting the freedom of everyone.

Yu.Z. Edström

During the next ten years (1942-1952), the IOC was headed by Yu.Z. Edström. He is considered a prominent figure in the Olympic movement, both Swedish and international. In the specialty of Junanness Siegfried Edström is an energy engineer. During the student years, Edström participated in competitions in sprinting, he was the record holder of Sweden. In 1912, on his initiative, the International Amateur Athletic Federation was established.

IOC member Edstrem became in 1920, and in 1931 he became vice-president of this organization. Further, Junannes's career developed as follows: after Baye-Latour died, he became acting president, and in September 1946 Edstrem was elected president of the IOC. For six years he held this position, until 1952. The activities of Edström fell on a difficult post-war period. The President distinguished himself by the desire to develop the Olympic movement, to strengthen it. He tried to use it as an instrument for developing cooperation and mutual understanding between peoples. Yu.Z. Edström resigned as president in 1952. He gave it to Avery Brendej. Edström lived a long life. He died on the 94th year of life, in 1964.

E. Brendej

The next 20 years IOC management was in the hands of Avery Brandadej. He served as president from 1952 to 1972. This man was a civil engineer from America. He owned a large construction company. During his studies at the university, Avery Brandadej seriously engaged in sports. In 1912, he participated in the Olympic Games, held in Stockholm. Brandade is the US champion in a sport such as track and field all-around. He was also a board member of the IAAF.

On the recommendation of Edström in 1936, Avery was elected as a member of the IOC. After 10 years he took the post of first vice president. In 1952, Brandade was elected president on a competitive basis (there were five applicants). For the next 20 years, Avery Brandedzh was the head of the IOC.

During the Cold War between the USSR and the US, Avery patiently, actively and persistently advocated the independence of sports from politics. When the Soviet troops entered Hungary in 1956 to crush the uprising against the pro-Soviet regime, a number of states decided to boycott the Games in Melbourne. Brendej said in response that if every time when politicians violate the law to stop the competition, we will simply lose them. In 1964, after the refusal of the US authorities to give the GDR athletes visas for a trip to the hockey competitions, Avery warned the United States that they would lose international ties if they decide to mix sport and politics.

Brandade at his post did much to preserve and strengthen international sports relations. He adhered to idealistic views, sometimes even conservative. Brandage dogmatically followed the laws and regulations of the IOC. He shared the ideals of Coubertin, which, it should be noted, was sometimes not consistent with the processes that arose at that time in public life. Avery Brandade opposed the execution of the anthem and the rise of the flag at the celebration of the winners of the Olympic Games. He believed that this was a manifestation of nationalism. He did not like the system of scoring, which determined the place of a national team in the overall standings at the Olympic Games. Avery believed that this is contrary to the spirit and rules of the Games, which are competitions between athletes, and not between countries. The sports community, expressing their remarks, respectfully treated the capable and talented president of the IOC. In 1972, Avery handed over his post to Killanin. Brandade died at the age of 98, in 1985.

Michael Maurice Killanin

For eight years, M. Killanin was the president. This Irish lord was rowing and boxing, and was also an excellent rider. He received his education at the famous Cambridge and Paris universities. Killanin worked as a journalist, and also participated in the Second World War. He was an officer in the British Armed Forces. After the war, Michael Killanin held various administrative positions in industrial firms.

In 1950, he became president of the Irish NOC. In 1952, Killanin became a member of the IOC. Lord Michael Morris was appointed to the position of Executive Board member in 1967, and a year later became the IOC Vice-President. The top of Killanin's career reached in 1972. He served as President of the IOC until 1980.

Michael was able to find more rational types of relationship between the IOC, the NOC and the MSF - the three main links in the Olympic movement. His work has strengthened this movement. During the presidency of Killanin, there was a certain political tension that was associated with the war of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. However, the consistent line that Michael held prevented the disruption of the 12th Olympic Games in Moscow. Michael Killanin was a supporter of realistic politics, which took into account the changes taking place in the world. He believed that the Olympic movement would eventually become even more massive. For the feat accomplished during the Second World War, Michael was awarded the high title of a member of the Order of the British Empire. He even wanted to be elected president of the republic in his native Ireland. Throughout the world, this president was respected by the IOC for humanity and honesty.

Juan Antonio Samaranch

The name of this person is most likely on your lips. Marquis of Juan Antonio Samaranch was president of the IOC from 1980 to 2001. He was born in Barcelona in 1920. Sports activities of the future president of the IOC began as a sports adviser in his municipality. He became president of the Spanish NOC in 1962. Four years later Kh. A. Samaranch was elected as a member of the IOC. From 1974 to 1978, Juan became vice president. Then Samaranch worked for 3 years in the USSR, where he was the ambassador of Spain.

At the IOC's 83rd Session held in Moscow in 1980, Juan Antonio was elected President of the IOC. At such a responsible post, he concentrated his efforts mainly on improving the effectiveness of the activities carried out by the IOC. Samaranch fought for strengthening the authority of the Olympic movement, for enhancing its stability. Faced with the confrontation between the USSR and the United States from the very beginning of his presidency, Juan Antonio did everything possible to prevent a boycott of the Games in Los Angeles. His flexible and skilful policy made the more authoritative, numerous and stable Olympic movement of that time. Great success was the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988 and in Barcelona in 1992. Samaranch has saved the Olympic movement from external shocks. He achieved his stability, significantly strengthened his financial position and authority. An important event in history was the resolution on the Olympic truce, which was adopted at the 48th session of the UN General Assembly. 1994 was declared the year of the Olympic ideal and sport.

In Russia, the activity of Samaranch was highly appreciated. On July 14, 1994, the decree of the Russian president was signed, according to which Juan Antonio was awarded the Order of Friendship for his significant contribution to strengthening and developing the Olympic movement throughout the world, for increasing his role in the struggle for peace between nations.

Jacques Rogge

From 2001 to 2013, IOC president was Jacques Rogge. He was born in Belgium (Ganta) on May 2, 1942. Rogge is a doctor of medical sciences, an orthopedic surgeon. He worked in the field of sports medicine. Count Jacques Rogge speaks French, Dutch, Spanish, German and English. He participated three times in the Olympic Games - in 1968, 1972 and 1976. Jacques Rogge represented his country in sailing. He is the winner of the World Cup, as well as his two-time silver medalist. Rogge 16 times became the champion of Belgium, performing in sailing. He is also the rugby champion of Belgium. Jacques spent ten matches for the national team of his country.

Since 1991, he became a member of the IOC, and since 1998 - a member of the Executive Committee. IOC President Rogge was elected on July 16, 2001 in Moscow. The IOC, under his leadership, endeavored to create maximum opportunities for developing countries to participate in the nomination of their cities as candidates for the right to host the Games. In 2008, the Games were first held in China.

Thomas Bach

This man is the president of the IOC from 2013 to the present. He was born in Wurzburg on December 29, 1953. Bach has a higher education in the field of jurisprudence, is a doctor of legal sciences. Since five years, Thomas was engaged in fencing on the rapier. In 1971 he won the bronze medal of the World Junior Championships in this sport. In 1973, Bach won a silver medal in the team of the foil-wrestlers who represented their country at the World Championships.

Thomas Bach, like other IOC presidents, reached great heights in sport. He participated in many fencing competitions on rapiers. In 1976, he became the Olympic champion in the team event at the Games in Montreal. Cup of European champions Bach won in 1978. In 1977-78 he became the champion of Germany in the personal championship.

In the years 1982-91. Bach was a member of the NOC of Germany. He became a member of the IOC in 1991, and five years later was elected to the IOC Executive Board. Three times Thomas Bach was vice-president of the IOC: in 2000-04, 2006-10 and in 2010-13. In 2013, at the age of 59, Thomas was elected President of the IOC. He became the first German, and also the first Olympic champion to occupy this post.