Thomas Bach to Attend 2022 World Games in Birmingham

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach will attend The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, organizers confirmed this week.

Bach plans to attend the Opening Ceremony on July 7 at Protective Stadium, which opened last year, as well as several of the sports competitions during his stay in Birmingham.

“We’re very honored that the President of the International Olympic Committee will be joining us at The World Games 2022,” said Jonathan Porter, chairman of the board for The World Games 2022. “This is another sign of the significance of the Games and its strong connection to the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee is a tremendous supporter of everything we are doing in Birmingham to make this edition of The World Games the best ever.”

The 2022 World Games start July 7 and will feature 34 sports and 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries. The event, July 7–17, is organized with the support of the IOC and are held every four years, one year after the Summer Olympic Games. The World Games 2022 in Birmingham will be the first edition of the international competition to take place in the United States since the first World Games were held in 1981 in Santa Clara, California.