IOC schedules Key Meeting for Presidential Election on January 30: Seven Candidates to Present Their Vision

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set January 30 as the date for a crucial meeting in the run-up to its presidential election, where seven candidates will have the opportunity to present their programs to voters ahead of the March ballot.

This private meeting, to be held at IOC headquarters, marks the only official campaign event in one of the most low-profile and confidential elections in the world of sports.

Strict IOC rules prevent candidates from releasing public campaign videos, holding public events, or engaging in open debates.

In a statement released Thursday, the IOC emphasized that the meeting “will allow members to hear from the seven candidates about their visions for the future of the organization.”

The race to replace outgoing president Thomas Bach has attracted a mix of current IOC executives and prominent sports leaders.

Among the candidates are three members of the IOC Executive Board: Spanish Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan, and Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry, who would make history as the first woman and first African IOC president.

Joining them are four other notable sports leaders: Sebastian Coe from Britain, who heads World Athletics; David Lappartient of France, who leads the International Cycling Union; Japan’s Morinari Watanabe, president of the International Gymnastics Federation; and Johan Eliasch of Sweden, who chairs the International Ski Federation.

A diverse group of about 100 IOC members—including royalty from Europe and the Middle East, sports administrators, former and current Olympic athletes, as well as influential business leaders—will cast their votes during a meeting set for March 18-21 in Greece, near the historic site of ancient Olympia.

Thomas Bach, who has led the IOC since 2013, will step down after completing the maximum 12-year term.

 He confirmed his departure during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, with his final day set for June following a three-month transition period with his successor.

Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic swimming champion who now serves as Zimbabwe’s Minister of Sports, has garnered significant attention in the election.

If elected, she would become the first female president in the IOC’s 130-year history. Her candidacy stands out as the only one from a woman in this election.

The incoming president will need to navigate a range of complex challenges. Key issues include the selection of the host city for the 2036 Olympics, with India and Qatar as leading contenders, addressing the growing impact of climate change on the global sports schedule and the Winter Games, advancing gender equality within the Olympic movement, and securing the renewal of a vital broadcasting deal with the United States that underpins much of the IOC’s financial stability.