The IOC President, Thomas Bach, paid tribute to Baron Pierre de Coubertin this afternoon, in Ancient Olympia, one day before the lighting of the Olympic Flame for the O.G. "Rio 2016". The IOC President visited the monument of the man who founded the modern Olympic Games and laid wreath, together with the IOC Vice Presidents, Nawal El Moutavakel, Zaiqing Yu and the President of the Organizing Committee of “Rio 2016” and the IOC member, Carlos Nuzman.
Members of the executive board of the Hellenic Olympic Committee consisting of the President Spyros Capralos, the Secretary General, Manolis Katsiadakis, the President of the International Olympic Academy, Isidoros Kouvelos and the honorary IOC member Lambis Nikolaou were also present. Earlier, the Honorary Dean of the International Olympic Academy Konstantinos Georgiadis, spoke about Pierre de Coubertin’s work and his passion for Ancient Olympia.
Then the Choreographer of the Flame Artemis Ignatiou, symbolically planted an olive tree in the memory of the legendary choreographer Maria Hors, who died in September 2015. Artemis Ignatiou said: "I hope she is looking down right now being proud of us." The ceremony was attended by the High Priestess Katerina Lehou and all Priestesses.
