After beginning with beach volleyball at the Youth Olympic Sports Centre, the German visited rugby sevens and BMX cycling nearby before travelling here to catch his first glimpse of fencing action, the sport in which he won an Olympic team foil gold medal at Montreal 1976.

Throughout the trip he was followed by a multitude of enthusiastic officials, athletes and volunteers, with most of them taking to heart his Opening Ceremony request to "pose for a selfie" by relentlessly requesting ones with him.

"It's fantastic," said Bach, who never once showed signs of fatigue despite all the attention he received.

"You see how much the athletes are enjoying it, they are supporting each other and coming to the other venues.

"The people of Nanjing are all so enthusiastic and friendly, and it couldn't be better."

Thomas Bach posed with countless athletes, including these beach volleyball players from Poland and the US ©ITG



With the next edition of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro facing various concerns over the slow construction progress as well as the support of the Brazilian people, it seems reasonable to assume that something could be learned from China's efforts.

"There's always a transfer of knowledge with the organisation," said Bach.

"But on the other hand, each edition, of the Youth Olympic Games or Olympic Games, has to be different.

"If you take one Games as a blueprint for one another it would be pretty boring."

This argument is a key part of the IOC's effort to show that just because some host cities had spent vast sums on developing new facilities, such as Sochi earlier this year for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, others can take a different and more sustainable approach.

Thomas Bach alongisde IRB President Bernard Lapasset and a multitude of fans, dancers and rugby sevens players ©ITG



Another key topic up for discussion as part of the ongoing Olympic Agenda 2020 reform process is the question of new Olympic sports, and Bach had nothing but praise for a sport due to make its debut at Rio 2016: rugby sevens.

"It's a great competition, you can see how dynamic and fascinating rugby sevens can be and is, and we are looking forward to a great tournament in Rio," Bach said.

"It is always critical to get it right at a big event like the Youth Olympics Games or Olympic Games.

"I think here that having this tournament and this excitement will have also help many more people understand better what rugby sevens means."

This enthusiasm was echoed by International Rugby Board President Bernard Lapasset, who told insidethegames he was delighted with the competition and saw it as a great advert for the sport, with success for the Chinese girl's team cited as something especially pleasing.

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