IOC President joins 50th anniversary celebrations for Mexico City 1968 - unveils rings and sees the legacy
IOC President Thomas Bach was in Mexico City on Thursday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Games Mexico City 1968. To mark the moment, the Olympic rings were unveiled at the Magdalena Mixhuca Sports Complex in Mexico City.
This was the site of several venues during the Olympic Games in 1968, including the huge Sala de Armas where the fencing competitions were held. The hall is still used on a daily basis for sport and sports competitions, and forms part of an impressive sports complex for the people of Mexico City. Also nearby were the Olympic venues for basketball, track cycling and field hockey.
The plaza has grown to span nearly three kilometres, and includes a variety of leisure activities, from Olympic sports to recreational spaces.
President Bach was joined by IOC EB member Denis Oswald, who won a bronze medal in the coxed fours rowing competition at these Games. The IOC President was welcomed by Mexican NOC President Carlos Padilla and IOC honorary member Olegario Vázquez Raña.
Earlier, President Bach attended celebrations at the NOC headquarters, where he also met the President-elect, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. During the meeting, President-elect Obrador explained his plans to bring in a huge apprenticeship programme for young people in Mexico, which will mix work, education and sports programmes to better integrate young people into society.
Later, President Bach also met the outgoing Mexican President, Enrique Peña Nieto.