By Matik Kueth
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is poised to elect a new president today on Thursday, marking a significant milestone as the organization prepares to welcome its 10th leader in a 131-year history.
The election is shaping up to be one of the most transparent in decades, with the new president set to steer the Olympics through key moments, including the upcoming 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles and the selection of a host for the 2036 Games—potentially in India or the Middle East for the first time.
Voting by approximately 100 eligible IOC members will commence at 4 p.m. local time (1400 GMT), with results expected within half an hour. Seven candidates are in the ballot, all vying for an absolute majority to secure victory at a resort hotel near the historic site of Ancient Olympia.
Front-runners in this unpredictable race include IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch, along with two-time Olympic gold medalists Sebastian Coe and Kirsty Coventry.
Coventry, who serves as Zimbabwe’s sports minister, has the potential to make history as the first woman and first African to lead the IOC.
“Let’s create some change, let’s make sure that happens,” she stated on Wednesday, highlighting her vision for the future. Seen as the favored successor to outgoing president Thomas Bach—who steps down on Olympic Day, June 23 after a maximum of 12 years in office—Coventry aims to build on Bach’s legacy.
Bach, who was celebrated during the IOC’s annual meeting on Wednesday and bestowed the honorary title of president for life, leaves the organization in a financially secure state, anticipating over $8 billion in revenue by 2028.
The presidency emphasized gender parity, achieving equal quotas for male and female athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and increasing female representation within the IOC and its executive board.
As the candidates prepare for the imminent election, Samaranch emphasized the focus on successfully organizing the Olympic Games relevant to the Olympic Games. Should he be elected, he would follow in the footsteps of his father, who served as IOC president from 1980 to 2001.
The diverse electorate includes royals, former politicians, business leaders, sports officials, Olympic athletes, and even Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh. Voting will take place without any further candidate presentations, with outcomes likely determined by a discreet web of personal connections and alliances formed out of public view.