World Athletics President, Lord Coe, has been confirmed as one of seven candidates to succeed Thomas Bach as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Bach, who announced during the Paris Olympics last month that he would step down at the end of his second term next year, will be succeeded after an election scheduled to take place in ancient Olympia from March 18-21, 2025, with the new president assuming office in June.
Lord Coe, a two-time Olympic 1500m champion from Britain, faces competition from notable figures including Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, France’s David Lappartient, Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry, Japan’s Morinari Watanabe, Sweden’s Johan Eliasch, and Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan.
Coventry, a seven-time Olympic swimming medalist, aims to become the first woman and the first African to lead the IOC.
Bach, a German lawyer, has held the presidency since 2013. The candidates will present their visions to the IOC membership at a private meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, in January.
All previous IOC presidents have been men, with eight of the nine hailing from Europe and one from the United States. Coe remarked on social media that Olympic sports are “fundamental to my DNA.”
“The Covid years saw many people struggle through inactivity and many sports organisations suffer through lack of funds. We need to invest more in both over the next decade,” he added.
“A laser-like focus on sport must be the priority for the IOC. I believe I can help achieve this and more.”
Under current IOC rules Coe would not be able to serve the full eight-year first term of office as he reaches the IOC age limit of 70 in 2026, but he abolished similar restrictions on becoming president of World Athletics.
Who are the candidates?
Prince Feisal al Hussein, 63, Jordan – A former wrestler and rally driver, he serves as president of the Jordan Olympic Committee and founded Generations for Peace, an organization focused on promoting unity in high-conflict areas.
Lord Sebastian Coe, 67, Great Britain – A celebrated middle-distance runner, Coe later transitioned into politics as a Conservative MP and played a key role as chair of the London 2012 Olympic Organising Committee. He also served as head of the British Olympic Association.
Kirsty Coventry, 41, Zimbabwe – Africa’s most decorated Olympian, Coventry competed in five Olympic Games and currently serves as Zimbabwe’s Minister of Sport. She has represented athletes on the IOC and founded a swimming academy in her home country.
Johan Eliasch, 62, Sweden – The president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, Eliasch is also chairman of the sports goods company Head. He previously served as an advisor on deforestation and green energy to the UK government under Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
David Lappartient, 51, France – President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), cycling’s global governing body, Lappartient also leads the French Olympic Committee and chairs the IOC’s esports group.
Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, 64, Spain – One of the four current vice presidents of the IOC, Samaranch Jr led the coordination commission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. His late father served as IOC president for 21 years until 2001.
Morinari Watanabe, 65, Japan – President of the International Gymnastics Federation since 2017, Watanabe was a member of the executive board for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics organizing committee.