Presidential Candidates Group Photo (Photograph: IOC/Greg Martin)
Election Time at the IOC
by Philip Barker
The election of a new International Olympic Committee (IOC) President at the Greek resort of Costa Navarino this Thursday is arguably the most significant sporting event of the year.
A record seven candidates are bidding to succeed Thomas Bach as his twelve year term comes to an end.
The election is to be conducted behind closed doors and even IOC members will be required to surrender electronic devices when they enter the electoral chamber.
Voting will continue until one candidate has achieved an overall majority. After each round, the candidate with the fewest votes will drop out.
Nothing will be announced in public until the final result is known.
There is a field of seven candidates and as regulations stand, the term of office possible for each could well be different.
The permutations have been set out in extensive documentation governing the election.
Brochures for Coventry, Coe and Eliasch.
Double Olympic swimming gold medallist and Executive Board (EB) member Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe is the first from the continent of Africa to run for the role.
If successful, she would at 41, become the youngest IOC President since Pierre de Coubertin himself.
Coventry is a five time Olympian who won 200m backstroke gold in 2004 and 2008.
The other double champion in contention is Lord Coe, who won 1500m gold at Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984.
Coe is currently World Athletics President and joined the IOC in connection with his “linked to a function within an International Federation.” He is the only candidate to have also led an Olympic Organising Committee and his National Olympic Committee. He is the first from Athletics to run since Lord Burghley Marquess of Exeter although long time International Amateur Athletic Federation President Sigfrid Edstrom of Sweden led the IOC after the second world war.
A second British candidate, International Ski Federation (FIS) President Johan Eliasch, (like Edstrom born in Sweden) is the first from a winter sport to stand since long-standing FIS President Marc Hodler ran in 1980.
Eliasch only became an IOC member in 2024 but has an impressive record in environmental initiatives.
Brochures for Lappartient, Watanabe, Hussein and Samaranch.
Frenchman David Lappartient, head of the International Cycling Union also leads his NOC and has led efforts to embrace esports in the Olympic world.Although there have been other French candidates, not since Baron Pierre de Coubertin 100 years ago has there been a Frenchman at the IOC helm.
International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) President Morinari Watanabe of Japan is one of two candidates from Asia. He has proposed that the Olympics take place simultaneously across five continents.
The other candidate from Asia is Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, the first from the “middle east” to run for President. The Prince sits on the EB.
IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch of Spain is the longest serving IOC member running for office. His father was IOC President for 21 years at the end of the 20th Century and into the new Millennium.
Since the first competitive election for an IOC President took place in Prague 100 years ago, the winner has always been an IOC member of at least a decade’s standing. All but one have also served as IOC Vice President.
As on previous occasions the formal handover of office does not take place until Olympic Day June 23rd, “To facilitate a smooth transition.”
The new office holder is set to officially start the following day.
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