International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has won an unopposed second term that will keep him in the post until 2025, and reiterated the Tokyo Games will go ahead.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Bach received 93 of the 94 eligible votes cast in an online process following the first day of a virtual IOC session.
"Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for this overwhelming vote of confidence and trust," he told members after the vote.
"I want to continue to achieve ambitious goals with you in the post-coronavirus world."
Bach took over in 2013 as the organisation's ninth president since the body's founding in 1894, succeeding outgoing president Jacques Rogge and beating five other candidates.
Presidents can serve two terms - a first term of eight years and a second of four if re-elected.
A German lawyer who won a gold medal in fencing at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Bach has been an IOC member since 1991.
After taking over in 2013 he introduced a string of reforms a year later designed to reduce the cost and size of the Olympics, as potential host cities were scared away by the financial implications linked to the Games.
Bach also had to navigate through the fallout of a 2014 Sochi Olympics doping scandal that eventually led to consecutive Olympic bans of Russia, and a troubled 2016 Rio de Janeiro that was marred by financial and political problems - and several corruption investigations.
The 67-year-old has also faced the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic - the first Games to be delayed in peacetime.
Bach again said the Tokyo Olympics will go ahead safely from mid-July, as the postponed Games' organisers race to overcome the challenges presented by hosting the event during a pandemic.
Bach said Tokyo was "the best-prepared Olympic city," in remarks at the start of a three-day virtual IOC session.
"At this moment we have no reason to doubt that the opening ceremony will take place on July 23," he said.
"The IOC is working at full speed... to make the postponed Tokyo Games a safe manifestation of peace, solidarity and resilience of humankind in overcoming the pandemic."
"Our shared top priority was, is and remains a safe and secure Olympic Games for everyone."
Tokyo 2020, already delayed by 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic, will be held amid tight health measures and the likely absence of international visitors.
Thursday will mark the first time the Tokyo organisers report to the IOC membership under new chief Seiko Hashimoto, who replaced Yoshiro Mori three weeks ago. Mori was forced to resign over sexist remarks.
Two government sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Japan has decided to stage the Olympics and Paralympics without overseas spectators due to public concerns about COVID-19.
-Reuters
