LONDON (AP) — Germany’s Thomas Bach is set to become the first IOC member to come forward as a candidate to succeed Jacques Rogge as president of the Olympic body.
An official with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press that Bach will announce his candidacy at a news conference in Frankfurt on Thursday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been publicly disclosed.
Rogge steps down as president on Sept. 10 after 12 years as head of the International Olympic Committee.
Bach, an IOC vice president, has been widely expected to run for president and is considered the leading contender. A lawyer and former Olympic fencer, the 58-year-old Bach has been on the IOC’s ruling executive board since 1996.
