00:00As rain fell over the ancient ruins of Olympia, the 144th IOC session began,
00:07marking the end of an era and the start of another.
00:11Under grey skies, delegates from around the world gathered to elect a new president to lead the Olympic movement.
00:18Thomas Bach took the stage one last time.
00:21This is exactly what this IOC session is about.
00:28A sacred pilgrimage to our ancient past.
00:33An homage to our modern origins and to our founder.
00:40And a manifestation of our faith in the future, when we will elect a new president.
00:50As Bach honoured the past and looked to the future, he highlighted the challenges of his tenure.
00:56Keeping the Olympics relevant meant balancing tradition with progress,
01:01gender equality, innovation and the ever-changing sports landscape.
01:06These agendas, whether it's the Olympic Agenda 2020, whether it's the Plus Five,
01:13whether it's the Olympic Artificial Intelligence Agenda, they're all jigsaw puzzles.
01:21And so, you know, the whole picture has two feet.
01:28Under Bach's leadership, the Games evolved.
01:31More women competing, new sports drawing in young fans.
01:35But just as momentum built, the world shut down.
01:39A global pandemic, empty stadiums, uncertainty.
01:43Still, Bach made sure the Games went on.
01:46What was more difficult to organise in the interest and for the sake of the athletes,
01:53the Olympic Games in Tokyo during a pandemic,
01:57or managing to get the athletes from all the 206 NOCs to Paris without any boycott.
02:06Bach knew the challenges weren't over.
02:09From the pandemic and political tensions to financial hurdles.
02:14Keeping the Olympic movement united wasn't an easy job.
02:18Yet, through it all, the Games endured.
02:21And now, as athletes prepare for next year's Winter Olympic Games in Milan,
02:26his impact is clear.
02:28With his position, he was setting the tone of what was going to happen.
02:33And, of course, things were happening.
02:35Under his leadership, he was guiding us, he was guiding the Olympic movement.
02:40And I felt always safe and secure under the leadership of Thomas Bach.
02:46Now, as the Olympic movement enters a new chapter, who will carry the torch?
02:52Bach's decade at the helm reshaped the Games,
02:56balancing tradition with change and keeping the Olympic flame going.
03:00Evangelos Tsipsas for CGTN, Kostas Navarino, Greece.
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