Bach, an IOC vice-president and head of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), confirmed his candidacy for the most powerful position in world sport at a press conference in Frankfurt earlier this month and Schormann (pictured top) insisted the 59-year-old Montréal 1976 Olympic fencing gold medallist has taken "the right step" in running for IOC Presidency.

"Sure, I'm a German and I've known Dr Bach a long time, from 1980 onwards perhaps, about thirty years," Schormann, who has led the UIPM since 1993, told insidethegames.

"He is a fencer so I've known him from when he was a young person fencing.

"Therefore, I know his whole life, his career, through adidas, through Professor Tröger; I know his whole engagement in the Olympic Movement as well as in the German Movement.

"I know completely the national side and the international side.

"I think his skills are perfect to become an IOC President."


Schormann went on to say that although there is something slightly sentimental about a fellow German running for Presidency he has observed Bach from a professional point of view and witnessed his work in the Olympic Movement.

"His [Bach's] statements and skills of language to speak French, English, Spanish, German, so four major languages in the world, I think this is also what the IOC President needs to talk the mother language to the English speaking societies, the French speaking societies, the Spanish societies, the IOC, international sport, that is needed and very helpful,he said.

"And the fact that he is a lawyer and a businessman and guiding a big association like ours, the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, of 27 million members – he is a great organiser and a fantastic President of that.

"Think there is a lot of positive parts.

"It is clear that he is confident by himself to say 'here I am to offer my services for the Olympic Movement as a non-paid President', underlining a non-paid IOC President."

Bach has said he will formally submit his candidacy next month under the motto "Unity in Diversity", which he claimed described both the universality and the solidarity of the Olympic Movement, when he also plans to release more details of his manifesto.

Rogge is due to step down as IOC President on September 10 this year and the deadline for declaration of candidacies is not due until June 10, three months before the vote at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
May 2013: Bach officially confirms he will run for IOC President