The seven candidates competing for the International Olympic Committee presidency have learned their order of presentation, as the IOC Ethics Commission drew lots on Tuesday to determine the sequence for the official presentations in 2025, with less than 50 days until the elections.
As the 12-year tenure of Thomas Bach comes to a close, the race for the IOC’s top position includes International Gymnastics Federation president Morinari Watanabe, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, Sweden’s Johan Eliasch, France’s David Lappartient, Prince Feisal al-Hussein of Jordan, and Zimbabwe’s Kristy Coventry, who could become the first woman and African to lead the IOC in its history.
Elections will take place in less than four months, during the 144th IOC Session in Athens, Greece, from March 18 to 21. However, Bach will remain in office until June, when his third term ends and the winner will take over.
The candidates must undergo a detailed vetting process to meet updated IOC requirements and address calls for increased transparency. As part of this, the Ethics Commission has finalized the order of candidate presentations for the in-camera meetings scheduled for January 30 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Prince Feisal al-Hussein will kick off the presentations, followed by David Lappartient, Johan Eliasch, and Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior. Sebastian Coe will present before Watanabe, who will have the final word in the lineup. Kristy Coventry is set to present fifth.
