Prince Feisal , Lord COE, Zimbabwe’s women Olympic medalist Kristy Coventry, joins International Olympic Committee(IOC) presidential race
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidential race is officially underway following the announcement of the seven candidates vying for the top job in the Olympic Movement.
The election will take place at the 143rd IOC Session held from 18 to 21 March 2025 in Greece.
The candidates (in alphabetical order):
HRH Prince Feisal AL HUSSEIN
Lord Sebastian COE
Mrs Kirsty COVENTRY
Mr Johan ELIASCH
Mr David LAPPARTIENT
Mr Juan Antonio SAMARANCH
Mr Morinari WATANABE
officially announced their candidacies by the deadline of midnight on 15 September 2024.
Between January 20 and 24, 2025 in Lausanne, the candidates will be invited by the IOC to present their candidatures, plans and views on the IOC presidency to the full IOC membership.
AGE LIMIT Last week, the IOC Ethics Commission stressed: “The IOC President must be a member of the IOC at the time of the election and during the entire duration of their term as IOC President.” The age limit for IOC membership is 70, with only one possibility of a four-year extension. And this could pose a barrier for the likes of World Athletics president Coe, who is 67 years old. President of the International Federation of Gymnastics Watanabe, who is 65 years old and IOC vice president Samaranch Jr, who turns 65 in November, are two other candidates facing this hurdle. If elected, it is unlikely that Coe, Watanabe or Samaranch would complete the first term of eight years, under the current rules stated in the Olympic Charter. The IOC president is elected to an eight-year first term with the possibility of a second term of four years, if re-elected.
“The Olympic Charter does not grant the IOC President any exception regarding the end of their membership because of either the age limit or the loss of the function for which the member was elected, namely as an active athlete, or as a president or holding an executive or senior leadership position within an NOC or IF,” the IOC Ethics Commission Chair Ban Ki-moon highlighted in a two-page letter dated September 9 and sent to all the IOC Members.
Coe became an IOC member in 2020 through his position as World Athletics president – he will complete the maximum 12 years in that role in 2027.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST Ban’s letter also touched on conflict of interest “between the mission of the IOC president to represent the IOC as the leader of the Olympic Movement and the mission of a president of an NOC (National Olympic Committee) or an IF (International Federation), which are individual constituents of the Olympic Movement”. The letter further stated that “this conflict could be resolved only if, after the election of the IOC President, the IOC Session held another vote for a change of membership status.”
THE ONLY FEMALE Former Olympic swimming champion, Coventry, Zimbabwe’s most decorated Olympian, is the only woman running for president. The 41-year-old former Olympic swimming champion could become not only the first female president but also the first from Africa. Eight of the nine male presidents that have led the IOC in its 130-year-history came from Europe and one from the United States. Anita DeFrantz, a former Olympic rower from the United States, was the first woman ever to stand as an IOC presidential candidate. She got eliminated in the first round of voting in a five-candidate election in 2001, which was won by Jacques Rogge.
ELECTION The new president will be elected by IOC members in March 2025 at a session in ancient Olympia, Greece and the term of office will begin on June 24, 2025, “allowing the newly elected IOC President to leave any previous office or position, and in order to facilitate a smooth transition between the current IOC President and the newly elected IOC President,” according to the IOC.
