The International Olympic Committee (new slogan: “At Least We’re Not FIFA!”) is currently led by Thomas Bach, who god knows, doesn’t have an easy job. The host country is essentially taking on a gigantic money pit, which has thinned the herd of interested parties, so much so that hosts can now hold some events in other countries to avoid the cost of building so many new facilities. The weak pool of applicants has left autocrats looking to purchase prestige in a good position to snare the Games.

In a smart Spiegel interview conducted by Lukas Eberle and Maik Großekathöfer, Bach speaks to the IOC’s position on political responsibility. An excerpt:

Spiegel:

Before the start of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the IOC emphasized that it was helping open China to the world.

Thomas Bach:

No, we don’t do that. The Games are a way for us to set an example of an open society that is free of discrimination. We want to create an atmosphere in the Olympic Village in which all athletes can meet in an unprejudiced environment. And if, in the process, this leads to contemplation in the host country, then that’s entirely a good thing. But we have to respect the laws of a sovereign country. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia recently made a measured effort towards the Olympic Games. My reaction was: As long as women cannot have the same access to sports as men do in Saudi Arabia, as long as women can’t even enter the stadium there, we won’t accept an application.

Spiegel:

You’re making it easy for yourself by taking up sports as an issue. Why don’t you just say: As long as bloggers are whipped in Saudi Arabia, the country will not receive the Games?

Thomas Bach:

Once more: The IOC is a sports organization. We cannot change what generations of diplomats and a series of UN resolutions have not been able to.

Spiegel:

Since 2014, paragraph six of the Olympic Charter also bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. For the 2022 Winter Games, there are two candidates: Almaty and Beijing. If you were serious about your charter, you would need to reject both cities.

Thomas Bach:

Why?

Spiegel:

In Kazakhstan, politicians have been pushing a Russian-style anti-gay law for years. And in China there are clinics in which gay men are tortured with electric shocks.

Thomas Bach:

The responsibilities of the IOC, as well as the opportunities, are tied to the Olympic Games and the processes that are directly related to them. We can only provide an inspiration for the development of societies and countries, not instructions.•