RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — IOC President Thomas Bach will miss Wednesday’s opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in order to attend a state event in Germany.
The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday that Bach would attend the official state mourning ceremony on Wednesday for Walter Scheel, the former West Germany president.
“We understand that it was an unforeseen situation that happened in Europe,” Mario Andrada, the spokesman for the local organizing committee, said.
Bach has named IOC member Sam Ramsamy of South Africa to represent him at the opening ceremony at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.