Thomas Bach on Trump, transgender athletes and the role of the Olympics

Thomas Bach on Trump, transgender athletes and the role of the Olympics

At a time when it is sometimes difficult Olympic Games To separate the Games from political issues, Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has a clear message for his successors: the Games should be kept away from political disputes. Bach has been steering the fortunes of the IOC for 12 years and has experienced some of the most extraordinary crises during this time - from a global pandemic to two Olympic Games without spectators about one state-sponsored doping scandal in Russia to a transformation of the IOC into a modern organization. The Olympics took place in countries such as Russia, Brazil, South Korea, China and France, amid simultaneous political elections, wars in Europe and the Middle East, and tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

A commitment to neutrality in sport

As he prepares to hand over his duties, Bach remains a firm believer in the power of unity and strict neutrality. He notes that the Olympics are not currently facing any “existential challenges or problems.” "Sport must be politically neutral, otherwise we cannot fulfill our mission of bringing the entire world together. In Paris we saw how well that worked," he said in an exclusive interview with CNN Sports. Athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committees and the refugee team lived peacefully together in the Olympic Village.

Challenges at the upcoming Olympic Games

However, Bach's message is put to the test when the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles standing in front of the door. These games experience an increasingly uncertain political and social backdrop in the United States, which is characterized by deep political divisions. The aggressive political strategies of the Trump administration are in stark contrast to the diplomatic and unifying goals of the IOC.

The ambivalence towards Trump

Despite these challenges, Bach, 71, remains confident that President Donald Trump - who was in his first term when the Games were awarded to Los Angeles - has the Games' best interest at heart. "I am very confident that President Trump will support the LA games because I have known him to be a strong supporter of the Los Angeles candidacy. You can tell he loves sports," said Bach. He believes Los Angeles will portray the image of a sports-loving country and Americans will be able to live out their passion for the Olympics.

Political storm over transgender athletes

However, Trump also shows aggressive interest in sports politics, particularly in the context of participation transgender women in women's sports. This debate is currently an extremely contentious topic in sport. The gender admission rules and participation of transgender -Athletes are now a hotly debated topic in society. Trump issued an executive order that became known as “banning men from women’s sports,” which puts pressure on the participation of athletes who don’t fit the gender mold.

Controversies surrounding Olympic boxers

The controversies surrounding the athletes, including well-known boxers, have led to a dispute between the IOC and Trump. Bach has strongly defended himself against the attacks, which were sparked by misinformation and graphic online abuse of the athletes, who came primarily from Russia. Khelif and Lin, whose participation in Paris was considered controversial, were repeatedly used as examples in Trump's political debate, leading to a massive rise in transphobia on social media. “They are facts that need to be interpreted and we need to discuss them to understand what the truth is,” Bach explained.

Bach's experiences with controversy

Bach reflected on his difficult relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Although he initially had a good relationship with Putin during the 2014 Sochi Olympics, it was severely strained by the subsequent doping scandal. "These games made a lot of people think differently about Russia; but with the doping scandal everything was ruined," Bach said. Since the illegal invasion of Ukraine, he has seen himself as a target of Russian propaganda. Despite much speculation, Bach emphasizes that his relationship with Putin had no influence on the IOC's decisions. “We apply the same principles to all athletes worldwide,” said Bach.

Bach is optimistic about the future of the Olympics and hopes they can continue to have a positive impact on society, despite the multitude of challenges along the way.