IOC Leadership, Tarasova Comments, and 2024-2025 Developments
Renowned figure skater and coach Tatyana Tarasova offered her perspective on the recent decision by Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, regarding the scheduling of IOC leadership elections for March 2025. Tarasova suggested that while Bach may step down, the crucial issue is that any new IOC president should weigh the impact of decisions on athletes and coaches when making strategic choices.
According to Tarasova, the key consideration for the organization is continuity of thoughtful leadership that prioritizes the well-being and careers of athletes and coaches alike. She underscored that a successor should meet or exceed the standard set by the incumbent in terms of foresight and fairness in decision making.
The plan for electing a new IOC president was described as taking place in Greece in March 2025. Bach has held the presidency since late 2013, succeeding Jacques Rogge. He became the first German to lead the IOC and the first Olympic champion to assume that role. Bach won Olympic gold in team foil in 1976 and later claimed the world championship in the same discipline in 1977, achievements that contribute to his longstanding prestige within the Olympic movement.
In late February 2022, the IOC announced a guidance to international sports federations regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, recommending that they be excluded from competitions. By the end of 2023, the organization decided to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete as neutral athletes at the 2024 Olympic Games, subject to meeting several conditions. Their medals were not counted toward the medal standings in the official tally, a policy that reflected the special status of these athletes in the context of ongoing political considerations surrounding the events of the time.
Umar Kremlev, who previously served as president of the International Boxing Association, publicly referred to the 2024 Olympic arrangement using a strong critical term, describing it in his view in crude terms. His remark highlighted the intensity of debate within the sports world regarding how neutrality and geopolitical considerations intersect with Olympic competition.