The Japan Times - Heavyweight seven eye finish line in race to succeed Olympics chief Bach

EUR -
AED 4.006889
AFN 76.941747
ALL 99.18358
AMD 426.163044
ANG 1.964079
AOA 998.259563
ARS 1164.778231
AUD 1.712143
AWG 1.966517
AZN 1.871299
BAM 1.955163
BBD 2.200392
BDT 132.416838
BGN 1.955384
BHD 0.411096
BIF 3229.414159
BMD 1.090994
BND 1.451167
BOB 7.53058
BRL 6.202738
BSD 1.0898
BTN 94.62759
BWP 14.817559
BYN 3.566458
BYR 21383.489982
BZD 2.189096
CAD 1.560809
CDF 3136.609039
CHF 0.961439
CLF 0.02617
CLP 1004.246603
CNY 7.89138
CNH 7.89551
COP 4443.892886
CRC 543.60039
CUC 1.090994
CUP 28.911351
CVE 110.229575
CZK 25.064498
DJF 194.068738
DKK 7.460471
DOP 68.584816
DZD 145.664132
EGP 55.104927
ERN 16.364916
ETB 142.927417
FJD 2.516812
FKP 0.843128
GBP 0.840917
GEL 3.038391
GGP 0.843128
GHS 16.847821
GIP 0.843128
GMD 77.996549
GNF 9471.491632
GTQ 8.405385
GYD 228.000234
HKD 8.47724
HNL 27.966287
HRK 7.534625
HTG 145.192767
HUF 400.130704
IDR 17854.290381
ILS 3.976953
IMP 0.843128
INR 94.861147
IQD 1429.608347
IRR 45824.618331
ISK 146.186361
JEP 0.843128
JMD 170.752859
JOD 0.773563
JPY 163.288835
KES 141.505178
KGS 95.407469
KHR 4364.842526
KMF 493.311542
KPW 981.894948
KRW 1583.620187
KWD 0.336115
KYD 0.894621
KZT 547.542517
LAK 23645.990654
LBP 98593.638506
LKR 322.207884
LRD 217.289199
LSL 19.82076
LTL 3.221423
LVL 0.659931
LYD 5.250738
MAD 10.568749
MDL 19.386989
MGA 5100.105846
MKD 61.499365
MMK 2291.070813
MNT 3788.458267
MOP 8.734636
MRU 43.55918
MUR 49.049632
MVR 16.866773
MWK 1891.051668
MXN 21.796864
MYR 4.850672
MZN 69.43024
NAD 19.82076
NGN 1688.557054
NIO 39.957024
NOK 11.514027
NPR 151.848981
NZD 1.876173
OMR 0.420026
PAB 1.090994
PEN 3.991194
PGK 4.431305
PHP 62.470845
PKR 305.577042
PLN 4.177227
PYG 8717.412633
QAR 3.971051
RON 4.988726
RSD 117.526502
RUB 93.279738
RWF 1532.604306
SAR 4.091486
SBD 9.273222
SCR 16.280047
SDG 653.464851
SEK 11.030144
SGD 1.455055
SHP 0.85735
SLE 24.902004
SLL 22877.607976
SOS 623.819389
SRD 39.624888
STD 22581.381099
SVC 9.545924
SYP 14185.0443
SZL 19.82076
THB 36.590041
TJS 11.932636
TMT 3.818675
TND 3.358057
TOP 2.622552
TRY 39.989445
TTD 7.428386
TWD 35.972657
TZS 2869.263587
UAH 45.410799
UGX 3999.119443
USD 1.090994
UYU 46.463649
UZS 14115.452782
VES 72.306197
VND 27825.81075
VUV 134.145869
WST 3.074963
XAF 657.748722
XAG 0.032225
XAU 0.000362
XCD 2.945685
XDR 0.818764
XOF 657.748722
XPF 119.331742
YER 271.095014
ZAR 19.759657
ZMK 9820.261527
ZMW 31.347793
ZWL 351.299747
  • SCS

    0.0200

    11.01

    +0.18%

  • CMSD

    0.1900

    23.54

    +0.81%

  • GSK

    0.7600

    40.25

    +1.89%

  • NGG

    0.9300

    64.14

    +1.45%

  • BCC

    0.6500

    100

    +0.65%

  • CMSC

    0.1100

    23.33

    +0.47%

  • AZN

    -0.2300

    77.37

    -0.3%

  • BCE

    0.2300

    23.7

    +0.97%

  • RIO

    0.4300

    63.47

    +0.68%

  • RBGPF

    66.7800

    66.78

    +100%

  • BTI

    0.4800

    41.84

    +1.15%

  • JRI

    0.1700

    13

    +1.31%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    10.44

    -0.1%

  • BP

    0.3700

    33.76

    +1.1%

  • RELX

    0.6700

    49.6

    +1.35%

  • VOD

    0.3100

    9.86

    +3.14%

Heavyweight seven eye finish line in race to succeed Olympics chief Bach
Heavyweight seven eye finish line in race to succeed Olympics chief Bach / Photo: MARCO BERTORELLO - AFP

Heavyweight seven eye finish line in race to succeed Olympics chief Bach

The race to succeed Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Committee is nearing the finish with Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, Sebastian Coe and Kirsty Coventry widely seen to be clear of the remaining quartet.

Text size:

Any of those three would be an historic winner in the election in Greece on Thursday.

Samaranch would emulate his father of the same name and become the first father and son to be crowned president, Coe would be the first Briton and Zimbabwean Coventry the youngest at 41, and both the first woman and African.

Nevertheless surprises from the electorate of 100-plus IOC members cannot be ruled out in the battle to become the most powerful figure in sport governance.

Ski federation chief and renowned environmentalist Johan Eliasch, Morinari Watanabe, president of the gymnastics federation, cycling head David Lappartient and Prince Feisal al-Hussein make up the heavyweight field.

Whoever wins will take over a financially secure body, but those calm waters are muddied by a febrile geopolitical situation.

Adding to the potent mix, the new IOC chief will have to deal with unpredictable US President Donald Trump as Los Angeles hosts the next Summer Olympics in 2028.

In this "very complex world", as Samaranch termed it, where previously undisputed truths such as "universality, fraternity and unity" are now disputed, it is no time to take a leap in the dark.

The 65-year-old Spaniard, an assured and polished performer with over two decades as an IOC member, argues he provides the steady hand at the tiller that is required.

"It is not about the face or the gender, or the continent," he told AFP in an interview.

"Even in the easiest of times, we should elect the best person for the job.

"This is too important and too relevant for too many people to experiment."

Samaranch would take over an IOC radically different to the one his father did in 1980 and then ran for over two decades, effectively saving it with a radical transformation of its finances.

Samaranch Junior, though, has repeatedly batted away comparisons with his father.

"Nothing of what he and all these extraordinary people did to bring Olympism back to life, nothing of what they encountered are remotely relevant today," he said.

Coe appears to be seen by Bach as the disruptor candidate, which is perhaps surprising given many would view him as an establishment figure.

- 'Feel safe' -

While Samaranch Junior brings a calm urbanity, two-time Olympic 1500 metres champion Coe oozes charisma and a ready wit.

Coe, 68, also boasts an impressive CV. A former lawmaker for the centre-right Conservatives, he led London's successful bid to host the 2012 Games, surprising long-time front-runners Paris.

He then took the plaudits along with his team for the highly-praised hosting of the Games and has been credited with reforming World Athletics since becoming president in 2015.

He has promised IOC members will get a greater voice than it is felt has been the case during Bach's 12-year tenure -- Coe told AFP his approach would be "don't micro-manage".

"If you've got really smart people around you and your ambition as a leader is to have people that are smarter than you around you, then use them," he said.

Both Samaranch Junior and Coe have conducted high-profile media campaigns in contrast to Coventry's low-key strategy.

The seven-time Olympic swimming medallist, two of them gold, is widely seen as being Bach's preferred candidate, something she denies.

She has also been firm about protecting women in sport.

"It is our job as the IOC to ensure we are going to create that environment and not just create a level playing field but an environment that allows for every athlete to feel safe."

There have been question marks over her accepting the post of sports minister in the Zimbabwean government whose election in 2023 was described as neither "free nor fair."

"I have learned so many things from stepping into this ministry role. I have taken it upon myself to change a lot of policies within my country and how things are done," Coventry said.

There have been complaints from some of the candidates, including Coe, over the electoral rules -- mainly that there is not enough engagement permitted with their electorate, the IOC members.

Coe appears to be battling against the odds -- it has been reported Bach has been phoning members advising them to not vote for him.

However, that may not have the impact Bach hopes.

"Never write Coe off," one IOC member told AFP.

"He is a winner."

H.Hayashi--JT