[19] Bach's successful election came against five other candidates: Sergey Bubka, Richard Carrión, Ng Ser Miang, Denis Oswald and Wu Ching-Kuo.

[22] At a meeting of the 137th session of the International Olympic Committee on 10 March 2021, Bach was re-elected to an additional four-year term as president.

[25] Following his election as IOC President, Bach indicated his desire to change the Olympic bidding process and make sustainable development a priority.

[32][33] Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Bach's call to "respect the rules and stay clean" was widely interpreted as a reference to the Russian scandal.

[35] There was wide speculation that Vladimir Putin's support was a key factor in Thomas Bach's election as IOC president in September 2013.

[39] Bach has also expressed support for participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics, despite the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War.

[48] Meanwhile, Bach was in Tokyo in July 2021 to promote a safe launch of the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics, he referred to Japanese people as "Chinese", triggering a backlash on social media.

[50][51] Furthermore, Hiroshima prefectural and municipal governments had to cover some 3.79 million yen (roughly $34,000) in security costs for Bach after the IOC refused to pay.

[52] As The Washington Post had called Bach "Von Ripper-off", the translated term "Bottakuri danshaku (ぼったくり男爵)" - "Baron Rip-off" - became his nickname, and made the top 10 in 2021's Buzzwords of the Year in Japan.

[60] Peng attended several events at the 2022 Winter Olympics and had a meeting with Bach and other IOC officials, where she announced her intention to travel to Europe after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

[61] The participation of Israel at the 2024 Summer Olympics prompted calls from left-wing French lawmakers,[62] Palestinian,[63] and other global sports organizations for sanctions against Israel and to prevent its participation due to the impact of the Israel–Hamas war on Palestinian athletes and sports facilities,[64][65] but Bach confirmed this was never an issue for the IOC and cautioned athletes against boycotts and discrimination.

"[69][70][71][72][73] Nevertheless, in July 2023 when Ukrainian four-time world fencing individual sabre champion Olga Kharlan was disqualified at the World Fencing Championships by the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime for not shaking the hand of her defeated Russian opponent, though Kharlan instead offered a tapping of blades in acknowledgement, Bach stepped in the next day.

[74][75] As President of the IOC, he sent a letter to Kharlan in which he expressed empathy for her, and wrote that in light of the situation she was being guaranteed a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The war against your country, the suffering of the people in Ukraine, the uncertainty around your participation at the Fencing World Championships ... and then the events which unfolded yesterday - all this is a roller coaster of emotions and feelings.

Rest assured that the IOC will continue to stand in full solidarity with the Ukrainian athletes and the Olympic community of Ukraine.

"[78] Bach was criticized by journalist Marina Hyde in The Guardian for comparing the IOC positively to FIFA with regard to corruption.

[79] Also in The Guardian, Owen Gibson accused Bach of hypocrisy for agreeing to be involved with the 2015 European Games hosted in Azerbaijan.

[80] Twenty-nine journalists signed an open letter to Bach calling for him to condemn Azerbaijan's jailing of dissenters and attacks on freedom of expression.

The name change spurred a petition signed by over 11,000 people from 88 countries, with one signer declaring "'Artistic Swimming' sounds like something society ladies did with their bosom friends at garden parties or after tea in the early 20th century.