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As elder statesman Henry Kissinger celebrates his milestone 100th birthday this week, IOC President Thomas Bach reflects on his relationship with an extraordinary man – and avid sports fan – who has been a friend of the Olympic Movement for 25 years.

IOC President pays tribute to Honour Member Henry Kissinger as he celebrates his 100th birthday

**When did you and Henry Kissinger first meet? What were the circumstances of that encounter?**

We first met in 1998 when we were both members of the “IOC 2000” reform commission, which had been put together following the Salt Lake City scandal. In addition to the IOC Members, some very prominent external personalities were appointed to this Commission. Henry Kissinger was one of these external personalities who was assigned to the working group discussing the wider role of the IOC and the Olympic Games in society, which I chaired at the time. It was in this context that I got to know Henry Kissinger, who reviewed our work and provided helpful feedback and advice.

Kissinger_Bach

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