By Victor Kanayo
World Athletics President Lord Coe has been named as one of seven confirmed candidates to succeed Thomas Bach as International Olympic Committee (IOC) President.
Bach announced at the Paris Olympics last month that he intends to stand down after the end of his second term next year.
Britain’s two-time Olympic 1500m champion Coe faces competition from Spaniard Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, France’s David Lappartient, Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry, Japan’s Morinari Watanabe, Swede Johan Eliasch and Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan.
Coventry, a seven-time Olympic swimming medallist, is bidding to become the first woman and African to head the IOC.
German lawyer Bach has been in charge since 2013.
The new IOC president will be elected at a session in ancient Olympia from March 18 to 21, 2025 and will take over in June of that year.
Candidates will make presentations to the full IOC membership at a private meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, in January.
