It has been announced this afternoon that Thomas Bach, of Germany, will be the new International Olympic Committee (IOC) president.
Bach has been elected for the post for an eight-year term, and will replace Jacques Rogge, who has served his president role for the past 12 years.
Bach won gold medal in fencing (foil) at the 1976 Olympic Games, in Montreal, as well as the 1978 European Cup of Champions and numerous national championship titles.
His IOC career began in 1996, when he was a member of the Executive Board, before being selected as Vice President in 2000.
During his time within the IOC, Bach has been the chairman, and member, of numerous commissions.
Initially there were six candidates for the role; Bach, Sergey Bubka, Richard Carrión, Denis Oswald, Ser Miang Ng and CK Wu.
CK Wu was eliminated in the first round of voting, but after round two it was revealed that Bach, the favourite, had won the post.
The figures for the first round of voting were as follows:
Bach: 43
Carrion: 23
Bubka: 8
Oswald: 7
Ser Miang Ng: 6
Wu:
Tie breaker: Ser Miang Ng 56, Wu 36
The figures for the second round of voting were as follows:
Bach: 49
Carrion: 29
Ser Miang Ng: 6
Oswald: 5
Bubka: 4
Bach spoke after learning of his victory: “Thank you very much to all of you.
“Let us, this great universal orchestra of IOC members, play together in harmony towards a bright future for the Olympic movement under the leadership of the IOC. “
At the meeting, it was also announced that nine new IOC members had been elected, including Paul Tergat, and Stefan Holm.
Tergat was known for his intense rivalry with Haile Gebrselassie, but was an athletics great himself.
The 44-year-old won five consecutive IAAF World Cross Country Championships, two IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, and two Olympic silver medals over 10,000 metres.
Holm was the four time IAAF World Indoor Championships high jump gold medallist, and claimed victory in the event at the 2004 Olympic Games, too.
