GENEVA – The candidate declarations for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were released on Thursday, highlighting the aspirations of seven contenders vying for the esteemed position. Among them is Sebastian Coe, the current president of World Athletics, who has announced his intention to serve a partial term of four years instead of the full eight offered, with plans to run for re-election in 2029.

At 68 years old, Coe is advocating for a “transformative change” within the organization over his proposed term, which begins as members prepare to make a decision during a pivotal meeting scheduled from March 18-21 near Ancient Olympia in Greece. Several candidates, including Coe, promise enhanced involvement for IOC members in the selection process for future host cities, reversing the trend of merely approving a single candidate provided by the IOC administration under the current leadership of Thomas Bach. Bach is set to complete his maximum tenure of 12 years next year.

Coe is joined in this initiative by Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. and Prince Feisal al Hussein, both of whom are members of the IOC’s executive board. They have also committed to raising the retirement age for IOC members from 70 to 75. Currently, membership is exclusive, with 111 members comprising a mix of European and Middle Eastern royalty, leaders from international sports organizations, past and present Olympic athletes, as well as prominent public figures and an Oscar-winning actress.

Presidential candidates must be IOC members themselves, and aside from Coe, fellow contenders include board member Kirsty Coventry and leaders from various sports. Johan Eliasch from skiing, David Lappartient from cycling, and Morinari Watanabe from gymnastics also put their names forward in the competitive race. The release of manifestos is one of the few formal campaign events occurring amidst strict guidelines that limit overt self-promotion and direct voter engagement. A preliminary meeting on January 30 at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, will provide the candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves, but questions from the audience will not be permitted.

The IOC has never had a female president in its 130-year history, with just nine men having held the position, eight of whom were from Europe, and one from the U.S. Coventry, at 41, is the second woman ever to contest for IOC leadership and is often perceived as the candidate who aligns with Bach’s policies. Both Coe and Coventry are celebrated athletes, having triumphed in their respective sports, with Coe famously overseeing the successful execution of the 2012 London Olympics.

Coe’s commitment in 2023 to allocate $50,000 in prize money to gold medalists in track and field at the Paris Olympics marked a significant step, as it also included plans for payments to silver and bronze medalists during the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games. While specifics on prize money were not disclosed, Prince Feisal emphasized the need for Olympic athletes to receive “proper valuation,” and Samaranch proposed allowing athletes greater freedom to use performance footage on social media, somewhat relaxing the restrictive policies previously enforced by the IOC on athlete self-promotion.

Looking ahead, the new IOC president will tackle various pressing challenges, including the selection of the host for the 2036 Olympic Games, with India and Qatar as potential candidates, alongside considerations for rescheduling the Summer Games from their traditional July-August timeframe. Additionally, issues such as climate change’s impact on sports, gender equality within athletics, the reintegration of Russia into the games, and negotiating a new broadcasting agreement with an essential partner like NBC—whose current deal concludes after the 2032 Brisbane Olympics—will demand keen attention. This broadcasting agreement has historically been a significant cornerstone for Olympic finances, which accumulated $7.6 billion during the 2021-2024 cycle.

Following the fallout from the Salt Lake City bidding scandal in 1999, reforms restricted the presidential term to a total of 12 years. An initial eight-year term is followed by an option for a final four-year extension.