German claims top IOC post

BUENOS AIRES-NAMPA/REUTERS

Germany's Thomas Bach was elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday, succeeding Belgian Jacques Rogge and maintaining a European stranglehold on the most powerful position in world sport.
Bach, 59, the first Olympic champion to head the IOC, is the ninth president only in the body's 119-year history and the eighth European IOC leader.
Avery Brundage of the United States was the only outsider to break the monopoly, heading the IOC from 1952 to 1972.
“I want to be president of all of you,” the German beamed as IOC members applauded the decision before hugging and kissing their colleague.
“This is a really overwhelming sign of trust and confidence.”
Asked what his first task was, Bach, who has also worked for sporting goods manufacturer Adidas in the 1980s, replied: “The first challenge will be to celebrate. We have the challenge of organising the Sochi Winter Games. We have to prepare well and I am sure they will be great Games.”
Bach, who has pledged to reform the structure of the Games and the bidding procedure for the Olympics to attract more candidates, is also eager to boost the number of sports in the world's biggest multi-sports event.
“It is the first time an Olympic champion has been elected IOC president,” Bach said. “I will put sport in the centre of all our attention.”
The first German to run a major international sports body, Bach will have to go straight to work with the Sochi Olympics, starting in February, under international scrutiny over a controversial Russian anti-gay propaganda law.
In addition the 2016 summer Games in Rio de Janeiro are plagued by delays with the IOC eager to see work sped up.
After being feted by his peers, Bach faced tough questions at his first news conference on the Rio and Sochi Games and even his 1970s visits to Argentina which was at the time ruled by a military dictatorship, reminding him he was now in the hot seat.
While he handled the questions with ease, Bach is in no doubt aware that Tuesday's celebrations will soon be a thing of the past.
His first trip will be to ancient Olympia for Sochi's torch lighting ceremony later this month before hoping to 'soon' travel to Rio to monitor progress.
“I will never forget this day in my life,” Bach told reporters.