The IOC President watched the 10-metre diving competition, seeing Great Britain’s Tom Daley secure old once more after his first title win eight years ago. He also followed the water polo playoff between Kazakhstan and Italy, and attended the first heat of the swimming finals on Sunday evening.
He met Refugee Olympic Team athletes Yusra Mardini and Rami Anis, who are both competing as refugee athletes under the FINA flag at the World Championships. Both athletes joined the IOC President and IOC Honorary Member and FINA President Julio C. Maglione to watch the action in the pool. Thomas Bach also presented the medals to the successful swimmers in the men’s 400-metre freestyle competition.
Meeting FINA President Maglione, who was re-elected at the FINA Congress on Saturday for another four-year term, Thomas Bach congratulated him on his election. He pointed out that the very successful World Championships are “a great start to your new term”.
“These are fantastic World Championships in excellent facilities with an enthusiastic crowd in all the venues,” the IOC President said. “This is a great success for FINA and swimming, and for Hungary.” He also praised the presentation of the sport: “Swimming has made tremendous developments in recent years in the presentation of the sport. There are outstanding athletes and performances in swimming.”
While in Budapest, Thomas Bach visited International Judo Federation (IJF) President Marius Vizer at the IJF’s offices in Budapest. The Federation will hold its World Championships at the end of August in the Hungarian capital, and President Bach plans to return to Budapest on this occasion.
There was also a private lunch to which the Prime Minister of Hungary, Victor Orbán, had invited the IOC President. Thomas Bach took this opportunity to congratulate Prime Minister Orbán on the successful staging of these “fantastic World Championships”.
On the first evening of his visit, the IOC President attended the FINA Gala in the impressive Hungarian State Opera House. During his stay in Budapest, the IOC President met IOC Members Pál Schmitt, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Sam Ramsamy, Alex Gilady, Dániel Gyurta as well as IOC Honorary Member Mustapha Larfaoui.