IOC announces presidential candidates to succeed Bach

LAUSANNE -- The International Olympic Committee announced on Monday the seven candidates running for the presidency, with Sebastian Coe and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. among those on the list.

Other candidates vying for the position of the 10th IOC president to succeed the current chief, Thomas Bach, include HRH Prince Feisal al Hussein, Kirsty Coventry, Johan Eliasch, David Lappartient and Morinari Watanabe.

67-year-old Coe is a British sports administrator and former middle-distance runner, renowned for winning two Olympic gold medals in the 1,500 meters at the 1980 and 1984 Games. Coe has served as president of World Athletics since 2015.

Samaranch Jr. currently serves as a vice president of the IOC. Following in the footsteps of his father, Juan Antonio Samaranch, who was IOC president from 1980 to 2001, the 64-year-old Spaniard has contributed significantly to various Olympic initiatives and committees.

Prince Feisal al Hussein is member of the Jordanian royal family and an advocate for sports development in the Arab world. He has served as the president of the Jordan Olympic Committee and has held various positions within the IOC.

Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and Olympic gold medalist, having competed in five Olympic Games and earned a total of seven medals, making her one of Africa's most decorated Olympians. Beyond her athletic success, the 41-year-old serves as Zimbabwe's Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts, and Recreation and an IOC member.

Eliasch is a Swedish businessman and sports executive, currently serving as the president of the International Ski Federation (FIS). The 62-year-old was elected as an IOC member in 2024.

Lappartient is a French sports administrator who has been serving as the president of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the governing body for world cycling, since 2017. An IOC member, Lapartient also chairs the IOC's Esport Commission, overseeing the organization of the Esports Olympic Games in Saudi Arabia in 2025.

Morinari Watanabe of Japan is the current president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). The 65-year-old became the ninth FIG president and the first non-European to hold the post in 2017. Watanabe, a former gymnast and coach, has been an IOC member since 2018.

According to the IOC, the candidates will present their programs in camera to the full IOC membership on the occasion of a meeting to be held in Lausanne, Switzerland in January 2025.

Bach announced during the final week of the Paris Olympics that he would not pursue a third term, adhering to the IOC charter's maximum 12-year presidency limit, which concludes in 2025.