In Costa Navarino, Greece, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is preparing for a crucial election set for Thursday. The outcome will determine who will succeed Thomas Bach, as his 12-year term concludes in June. This election, the first since 2013 to be contested, sees seven candidates vying for the presidential role amid a landscape of political, social, sporting, and operational challenges.
Among the contenders are personalities such as Olympic gold medalists Sebastian Coe and Kirsty Coventry, and Juan Antonio Samaranch, the son of a former IOC president. These candidates are part of a field that includes four leaders of Olympic sport bodies: Johan Eliasch from skiing, David Lappartient from cycling, and Morinari Watanabe from gymnastics. Coe, who also heads World Athletics, is seen by many as the most experienced choice, having organized the 2012 London Olympics.
Three of the candidates serve on the IOC executive board, chaired by Bach. They are Samaranch, Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan, and Coventry, the sports minister of Zimbabwe. A win for Coventry would mark her as the first woman to lead the IOC in its 131-year history, a prospect many believe Bach favors. The voting body consists of about 100 IOC members drawn from varied backgrounds, including royalty, politics, business, and sports.
The upcoming 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles poses a significant diplomatic challenge. The event will occur as President Donald Trump’s second term nears its end. Hosting this vast international gathering entails upholding Olympic values, including gender equality and universal inclusion. Relations with long-time allies like Canada, Ukraine, Denmark, and Germany have created uncertainties about the US’s reception as the 2028 host.
Domestically, the US government’s involvement will focus on security and immigration control, vital during the earlier 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. The new IOC president must navigate these diplomatic challenges adeptly, balancing relations with local governance bodies led by Democratic officials in California and Los Angeles.
On the global stage, the IOC is entrenched in long-standing alignments with the United Nations and multilateral organizations, under pressure from shifts in US foreign policies. An imminent issue is the reintegration of Russia into the Olympic fold. Historical precedents of dealing with boycotts offer a roadmap, as Coe highlights from his athletic career during the Cold War era.
Gender equality has been a spotlight initiative of Bach’s presidency, fostering equal representation and visibility across Olympic events. Coventry’s candidacy underscores this commitment, and the topic remains pertinent, especially with current debates around transgender athletes and their participation.
The decisions concerning the hosting of future Games are also on the horizon. While locations for 2034 (Salt Lake City) and possibly 2038 (Switzerland) are decided, the choice for the 2036 Summer Games remains open, with India and Qatar among potential hosts. This process now follows a new, less transparent model designed to avoid corruption.
Furthermore, the impact of climate change is prompting considerations for scheduling future Summer Games outside the traditional July-August window. Creative solutions, like Eliasch’s proposal for rotating Winter Games among fixed sites, are emerging.
Athlete engagement remains a critical concern. Coe promises sizeable financial rewards for medalists, a breakthrough concept initiated by World Athletics in Paris. Other candidates, like Samaranch, advocate empowering athletes with rights over the use of footage from their performances. This intersects with longstanding issues like the IOC’s commercial restrictions impacting athletes.
Candidates also promise to engage IOC voters more actively than past leadership. Calls for more interaction and less hierarchical control reflect in proposals from Lappartient and Coe, who advocate for increased debate and decision-making power among IOC members. Coe, for instance, proposes a re-election possibility midway through his term, enhancing democratic accountability.
