IOC President Thomas Bach pays tribute to Muhammad Ali
Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. IOC President Thomas Bach pays tribute to the athlete.
"The news about the death of Muhammad Ali has affected me and the Olympic Movement very much. Our thoughts are with his family. He was an athlete who touched the hearts of people across the globe, an athlete who was engaged beyond sport, an athlete who had the courage to give hope to so many suffering illness by lighting the Olympic cauldron and not hiding his own affliction. He was an athlete who fought for peace and tolerance - he was a true Olympian," said Bach. "Meeting him in person was an inspiration. He was a man who at the same time was so proud and yet so humble. As such we will always remember him."
He was an athlete who touched the hearts of people across the globe
Muhammad Ali made a special appearance at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games:
Sixteen years before, the boxer had lit the Olympic Cauldron at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games:
As Cassius Clay, Ali travelled to the 1960 Rome Olympic Games to compete in the light heavyweight division. Despite being only 18, he won all four of his fights easily. In the final he defeated three-time European champion Zbigniew Pietrzykowski to win the gold medal.