President Bach welcomed Carola Mangiarotti, an Italian fencer who competed at the Olympic Games in 1976 in Montreal and 1980 in Moscow. She was accompanied by Franco Ascani, President of the International Sports Movies & TV Federation (FICTS). They spoke about the 1976 Games, in which they both competed, as well as Carola’s father, Edoardo Mangiarotti, who is the most decorated medallist in the history of fencing, with 13 Olympic medals and 26 world medals, and who was also Secretary General of the International Fencing Federation (FIE).
During the IOC’s 100 years in Lausanne celebrations on the Helvétie boat, President Bach had a surprise encounter with the Olympic epée champion at the 2012 Games in London, Venezuela’s Rubén Limardo, who was accompanied by fellow Olympians Silvio Fernández y Stefany Hernández. They were in Lausanne for a meeting about the creation of the Athletes’ Commission within the Venezuelan NOC as well as various programmes aimed at the athletes.
photo: IOC/Ian Jones