Had the West not boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Thomas Bach would be enjoying the fruits of a successful law practice in Germany.
Instead, he is favourite to be elected next month to the most powerful political position in sport.
The 59-year-old - a team foil fencing gold medallist at the 1976 Games - is one of six men vying to succeed Jacques Rogge as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president when the Belgian retires on September 10 in Buenos Aires after 12 years at the helm.
Bach's desire to become involved in sports politics was provoked by the dismissive way politicians at the time treated the athletes' concerns over the boycott brought about because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Bach and his teammates were trying to qualify for the Moscow Games and defend the Olympic title while debate raged on over whether to join the boycott.
"In 1980, I was the spokesman for all the West German athletes and fought really hard for us to be able to compete in Moscow," he told AFP in Russian where he is attending the world athletics championships.
"However, because of huge government pressure, the National Olympic Committee (NOC) gave in and boycotted the Games.
"This for me was the turning point from being an athlete to entering sports politics. I accepted to become a member of the German NOC because I wanted to avoid the situation where a future generation of athletes would suffer in the same way - every athlete's ambition is to compete in an Olympics and, for some, 1980 was their only chance.
"It was very obvious at the time that the athletes had no influence over the NOC.
Since then, Bach has made his priorities the fight against doping - he argued for a lifelong ban back in 1981 - and taking care of athletes and their concerns.
Bach has been an IOC vice-president three times since becoming a member in 1991.
