Bach checks out Birmingham and the World Games on his U.S. visit

Birmingham, Alabama doesn’t get many presidential visits, but they had one this week as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach was in town to see The World Games.

Accompanied by International World Games Association (IWGA) president José Perurena, as well as Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin, Chairman of the Birmingham Organizing Committee Jonathan Porter and CEO Nick Sellers, Bach mingled with the athletes and checked out the action at several competitions.

During a breakfast hosted by the IOC president, Bach stressed the bond between the IOC and the IWGA saying, “our house is also your house” while presenting Perurena with a gift of a sculpture depicting an overhead view of the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“The World Games show the diversity of sports, and we see how sports develop and grow,” Bach said. He also talked about how the IWGA shares the same values of the Olympic Movement.

Perurena was delighted to have Bach in attendance and thanked him for the IOC’s support and commitment of The World Games.

“The World Games family and the Olympic family are closely connected, and I know Thomas Bach likes The World Games very much,” said Perurena.

Bach won’t have much time to sightsee in Birmingham as he will also visit Los Angeles and Eugene, Oregon ahead of the World Athletics Championships which start on July 15.