President Bach in South America for the Opening of the Pan Am Games

He began his visit by addressing the General Assembly of Pan Am Sports, during which he congratulated the organisation on its 75^th anniversary. He gave a brief overview for the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, which he said will be more urban, youthful and gender-balanced as well as being more sustainable.

Accompanied throughout his visit by IOC member in Chile Neven Ilic, he visited the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), where he was welcomed by the President of the NOC, Miguel Ángel Mujica.

The NOC HQ is also home to the Athlete Training Centre, and the President met athletes from several NOCs, before going to see the boxing competition, which is being organised by the IOC’s Boxing Task Force.

In the evening, the President attended the Opening Ceremony with the Chilean President, Gabriel Boric. 

During his visit to Chile, the President met many NOC presidents and hosted a breakfast with IOC members and IF presidents who were attending the Games.

After visiting Casa Brasil, the President headed for the Athletes' Village, where he met numerous athletes from a number of NOCs, and took part in a 90-minute Q&A session, before having lunch with athletes in the Village dining hall.

Earlier, he had toured the Village which, after the Pan Am Games, will be converted to accommodation for more than 1,200 homeless families.

During the Village visit, a high-level delegation sent by US President Joe Biden presented a medal and support from the US President to President Bach. They passed on a message from President Biden conveying his full commitment to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 and the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The delegation included the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, the US Ambassador, Bernadette Meehan, and four-time Olympic high jumper, Chaunté Lowe, who thanked the President for the work the IOC is doing to ensure clean sport and fair competition for the athletes.

After visiting the Athletes’ Village, the President attended a number of sports competitions accompanied by Neven Ilic, including skateboarding, gymnastics, swimming and taekwondo. He also visited the esports pavilion.

Arriving in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, to celebrate the centenary of the NOC of Uruguay, President Bach was greeted by Julio Maglione, an honorary IOC member and President of the NOC, who accompanied him throughout the visit.

The first stop was to meet 150 junior athletes and members of the Athletes' Commission at a local sports centre, where he joined in the sport and took part in an hour-long Q&A session.

That evening, before the Centenary Celebrations, President Bach met the Uruguayan President, Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou. They discussed the international situation and the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024. The Uruguayan President expressed his support for the unifying mission of the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games.

During the visit to Montevideo, an official Olympic postage stamp was unveiled. The design for the official stamp was revealed after President Bach addressed representatives of both houses of the country's parliament. It features portraits of President Bach and the founder of the modern Olympic Movement, Pierre de Coubertin.

At the ceremony, the design for the stamp was unveiled by the Vice-President of the Republic and President of the General Assembly of both Houses, Beatriz Argimón, and the Vice-President of El Correo, the country's postal system, Julio Silveira. During the ceremony, the Vice-President of El Correo explained the motivation behind creating the stamp to honour the Olympic Movement and the Uruguayan NOC.

President Bach told the audience that he was accepting this “high honour on behalf of the entire Olympic Movement”. The Uruguayan Vice-President acknowledged the work of the IOC and the Olympic Movement and their contribution to peace.

Later, President Bach addressed the Municipal Council of Montevideo, where he was honoured by the members as a “Visitante Importante”.

Moving to Argentina, IOC Executive Board member Gerardo Werthein hosted a dinner for the President. Joining the dinner were NOC President Mario Moccia, NOC Executive Committee members and Argentinian Olympians. In Argentina, he was accompanied by Mr Werthein throughout his visit.

The next day at the NOC headquarters, he addressed the NOC Executive Committee and National Federation presidents, before officially opening a new Olympic Museum. The Argentinian NOC will celebrate its centenary later this year.