International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach plans visit to Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — As Salt Lake City continues its road to the 2034 Winter Olympic Games, outgoing International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach will be visiting the Wasatch Front.

Bach is scheduled to be in the Salt Lake City area for a two-day visit on Friday, Sept. 27, and Saturday, Sept. 28. He plans to meet several athletes at various venues and gather alongside the Games’ supporters in the Beehive State.

Bach’s exact itinerary during his stay in Utah has not been publicly released.

“It is an honor to have President Bach visit Salt Lake City to experience firsthand our culture of Olympism, the preparedness of our venues, the enthusiasm of our communities for sport, and the deep roster of Olympic and Paralympic athletes who call Utah their home,” said Fraser Bullock, Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games President and CEO.

Bach last visited Utah during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games when, at the time, he served as the IOC Vice President. The 1976 fencing Olympic champion was elected president of the International Olympic Committee in 2013.

In the decade under Bach’s leadership, the IOC underwent some major changes, with the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games being the first edition to benefit from these reforms from start to finish. According to the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, the Paris Games were younger, more urban, sustainable, and inclusive.

President Bach’s term limit as the IOC leader is set to come to an end in 2025. Despite speculation that he could change the rules to stay in office, Bach announced the Olympics would “best served with a change in leadership.”

In one of his last actions as the IOC President, Bach presided over the IOC Session in Paris when Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Seven candidates will compete in the election for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee during an IOC Session to be held in late March in Greece.

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