Despite threats from climate change, AI-enhanced doping and competition from esports, the boss of the International Olympic Committee believes the future has never looked so bright for the Games.
Thomas Bach, a 70-year-old German fencer, has run the Switzerland-based guardian of the Olympic Games since 2013, when interest in hosting the event was near rock-bottom after repeated scandals over costs and corruption.
Its diminished appeal was clear at the time of bidding for the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics when there were only two candidates, Paris and Los Angeles, who divided the honors between themselves.