LAUSANNE, Switzerland—Behind closed doors, seven candidates hoping to lead the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made key pitches to about 100 voters in perhaps the most elusive and opaque election in world sports.
LAUSANNE, Switzerland—Behind closed doors, seven candidates hoping to lead the International Olympic Committee made key pitches to about 100 voters in perhaps the most elusive and opaque election in world sports.
The only set-piece campaign event before the March 20 poll in Greece let each candidate speak for 15 minutes only to IOC members who include royal family members and former heads of government plus sports officials and former athletes. The speeches were not broadcast and the audience could not take phones or devices into the room. Nor could voters ask questions of their seven colleagues competing for perhaps the most influential job in sports, and one that increasingly has a role in real world politics. It is a quirky process set by the IOC to decide its first contested presidential election since 2013, and to find a successor for Thomas Bach who has reached the limit of 12 years in office. “If I was the president I think I’d be a little more flexible,” said Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan during a 10-minute news conference each candidate was allowed at IOC headquarters. “The world has a right to know who is running and what they stand for.” The candidates also include two Olympic gold medalists, Sebastian Coe and Kirsty Coventry, and the son of a former IOC president, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. Four are presidents of Olympic sports bodies: Johan Eliasch from skiing, David Lappartient from cycling, and Morinari Watanabe from gymnastics. Coe also leads World Athletics, organized the 2012 London Olympics, and is widely viewed as the most qualified candidate. Three are members of the Bach-chaired IOC executive board: Samaranch, Prince Feisal and Coventry, the sports minister of Zimbabwe who would be the first woman to lead the Olympic movement in its 130-year history. She has been regarded as Bach’s preferred choice. “I think he’s being very fair to all of us,” Coventry said when asked about the perception that she is favored by the sitting president. This week she had said “I don’t feel that he is out campaigning for me.” Bach is likely not to use his right to vote alongside the eclectic mix of invitees to become IOC members, who currently number 110. They also include diplomats, industrialists and Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh. Few details were known about the mood of IOC members. “I felt very good in the room,” said Samaranch, adding it was “an impossible question” to know how his time on stage compared to others. The winner on March 20 will formally take office in June after a three-month transition period with Bach, a German lawyer and 1976 Olympics gold medalist in fencing whose presidential style is widely seen as micro-managing. “The appetite for change is stronger than I thought it probably would be,” Coe said this week. He and Samaranch have promised to give back decision-making roles to members including more choice to pick Olympic host cities. The next IOC president will have a diplomatic role working with US President Donald Trump’s administration ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Key challenges ahead include the impact of climate change on the global sports calendar, gender issues in sports, when and how to bring Russia back fully into the Olympic Games, and signing a new US broadcast deal. Long-time partner NBC’s deal expires after the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and has been a foundation of Olympic revenue, which was $7.6 billion in the 2021-24 Olympic cycle. The IOC is looking toward picking a host for the 2036 Olympics, with India and Qatar in the mix, that could require moving the Summer Games from its established July-August place. Perhaps the most eye-catching new proposal is from Watanabe, for future Summer Games to be a rolling, 24-hour production with 10 sports in each of five countries, one from each continent. “In my opinion many people want revolution,” said the Japanese candidate, who is a likely outsider in the race, “they are waiting for innovation.” Other ideas for the world’s athletes include Coe’s wish to extend track and field’s payment of cash prizes for Olympic medalists and Samaranch suggesting to relax strict broadcast rights rules that would let athletes use video of their own performances on social media.By checking this box, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our terms of use regarding the storage of the data submitted through this form.
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