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The seven candidates running for International Olympic Committee (IOC) President are set to present their plans for the Olympic Movement on 30 January at the Olympic House to the IOC Members, who are in Lausanne for the 143rd IOC Session, an Extraordinary IOC Session. Following their presentations in the morning, the candidates will also have the opportunity to speak to the media.
Each of them boasts a wealth of experience in multiple fields and will try to convince the electorate that they are perfectly suited for the position. The election is scheduled for the 144th IOC Session to be held from 18 to 21 March 2025 in Greece.
On Thursday, in the order determined by the drawing of lots conducted in November, each candidate will have 15 minutes to deliver their presentation, which must reflect the content of their respective Candidature Document published on the IOC website. Following the morning session, each candidate will then interact with the media for 10 minutes. The media interaction will be live-streamed on IOC Media YouTube.
Citing their track record in sports, business, politics, philanthropy and even the military, the candidates, through their manifestos published on 19 December 2024, pledge to strengthen the solidarity among all stakeholders of the Olympic Movement in addressing critical challenges and charting the way forward for the IOC and global sports.
The new IOC President will take over in June. Bach’s presidency ends on Olympic Day, 23 June.
THE CANDIDATES (in the order of the drawing of lots):
HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein - IOC Executive Board Member
Mr David Lappartient – President of the International Cycling Union
Mr Johan Eliasch – President of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
Mr Juan Antonio Samaranch – IOC Vice President
Mrs Kirsty Coventry – IOC Executive Board Member
Lord Sebastian Coe – President of World Athletics
Mr Morinari Watanabe – President of the International Gymnastics Federation
72% OF IOC MEMBERS CATCH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FEVER FOR FIRST TIME IN LAUSANNE
Most of the 110 IOC members have arrived in Lausanne today (29 January) ahead of tomorrow’s 143rd Extraordinary IOC Session, during which the IOC presidential candidates will deliver their presentations.
THE ATMOSPHERE With two months to the election set for 20 March in Greece, the atmosphere is tense in the Olympic capital, and expectedly so, as campaigning intensifies in these days. The majestic lobby of the Lausanne Palace, the traditional hotel that accommodates IOC members, is bustling.
LOOKING BACK AT 2013 It’s been 11-plus years since the last candidate presentations in July 2013, in Lausanne, which featured incumbent President Thomas Bach of Germany and five other candidates; Sergey Bubka (Ukraine), Richard Carrion (Puerto Rico), Ser Miang Ng (Singapore), Denis Oswald (Switzerland) and Ching-kuo Wu (Chinese Taipei).
2013 ELECTION On 10 September 2013, Bach won the election after two rounds of voting. In the second round he received 49 votes, two more than he needed. His opponents got 44 votes combined: Bubka - 4, Carrion - 29, Miang Ng - 6, Oswald - 5. Wu was eliminated after the first round of voting.
In the first round, Bach got 43 votes, Bubka - 8, Carrion - 23, Miang Ng - 6, Oswald - 7, and Wu - 6. Miang Ng won the round 1 tie-break against Wu 56-36.
NEW FACES Since then, the IOC membership has welcomed many new faces, 80 of which are still IOC members. Hence, 72 per cent of the current IOC members are for the first time facing this critical decision that would shape the future of the Olympic body - in 2021, Bach was re-elected unopposed and members only had to simply vote yes or no.
Among the candidates for this year's election, only Juan Antonio Samaranch, Prince Feisal Al Hussein and Kirsty Coventry were already IOC members at the time Bach was first elected.
BIG DECISION Amid economic, environmental, security and technological challenges, the IOC members have to decide who among these seven (in order of the draw conducted in November by a Lausanne-based public notary); Prince Feisal Al Hussein (Jordan), David Lappartient (France), Johan Eliasch (Great Britain/Sweden), Juan Antonio Samaranch (Spain), Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe), Lord Sebastian Coe (Great Britain) and Morinari Watanabe (Japan), will usher in a new era for the Olympic movement.
THE ELECTION The President will be elected by secret ballot for a term of eight years, with the possibility to stand for re-election for a second, four-year term. The term of office of the new IOC President will start on 24 June 2025.
Chibuogwu Nnadiegbulam - AIPS Media, Photo by Robert Hradil/Getty Images
