Candidates to rule the IOC only faced their only chance to attract voters

The Seven aspiring to rule the International Olympic Committee (IOC)Besides them the Spanish Juan Antonio SamaranchThey will face this Thursday in Lausana (Switzerland) The only chance to show its programs before the agency’s meeting And attract the members of the assembly that on March 20 they will vote to choose the highest sport leader in the world.

The list of applicants is completed by the British Sebastian COEThe French David LappartientJapanese Morinori WatanabeThe Jordanian Feisal to HusseinThe Swedish-British Johan Eliasch and the Zimbabuense Kirsty Coventrywishing to be the first woman to the committee leader.

The winner of the election will happen to German Thomas Bach and will be the tenth president of the IOCThe entity established in 1894 and responsible for the organization of the largest universal sports event, the Olympic Games. The presentation in Lausana will be subject to many restrictions that move it from an electoral campaign to be used.

It is behind the closed doors and Attendees should deliver their mobile devices before entering. Each applicant will only have 15 minutes to summarize your programwhich has been published in December. No questions and No candidate can witness the intervention of his rivals.

The order is determined by the draw. It will start to play and continue with lappartient, eliasch, samaranch, coventry, coe and watanabe. At the end of each presentation, the candidate will have ten minutes to respond to the media.

Basic coincidences

Seven Programs of Candidates present coincidences on the main things As needed Keep neutrality and freedom of the Olympic movement, the comfort to provide more voice to athletesShe is Promise in the fight against doping That favor of equality -equivalent, the Maintenance And the Olympic amounts And the need Increase income.

But most of them clearly agree with their desire to return to the Olympic assembly (Session) The decision about the Olympic Games headquarterspreferably in an election to many candidates. Currently, it is only the Executive Commission that chooses a city and the plenary is limited to vote to make it.

“Members should decide on the host city selection. The Future Headquarters Commission should continue to help each candidate to develop the best possible project. The specific list of perfect candidates should be subjected to session opinion“Samaranch said in his program.

The majority also matches the desire that Raise the age of retiring IOC members to 75compared to the 70s today.

There is aHardly united about the Olympic participation of transgender athletesin the sense of protecting the female sport.

Novel’s proposals

As for economic awards for Olympic athletes, Sebastian COE (President of the World Athletics) is the most clear favor: “DI will develop programs that allow them to share the commercial income that will help to produce, Giving them power as partners, not just as participants.

Change dates of games so that more cities can fix them despite the consequences of climatic crisisBecause it emphasizes Hussein, this is another proposal in which some of the candidates match.

But it is WatanabePresident of the International Gymnastics Federation, to attend Two groundbreaking measures: The Celebration of games at the same time in five cities of five continentseach man manages ten sports, and the The COI transformation of a bicameral organism Where the House of Representative is all presidents of the National Olympic Committee and the international federations will be.

Samaranch, a great broadcaster

Juan Antonio Samaranchson of the president of IOC between 1980 and 2001, perhaps who Better performance can be obtained from 15 minutes of its rally. Excellent harbinger, close to treatment and very effective in thesis exhibition, He is also the most IOC -member member of the candidates (since 2001) and Who better knows the interest of their classmates.

Against him, You can’t be proud of being Olympic Champion like COE (Athletics) or Coventry (swimming), Nor did he rule over a international federation, such as COE (Athletics), Lappartient (cycling), Watanabe (Gymnastics) and Eliasch (ski). But in his curriculum as a businessman and financial expert, an important point in the management of the current Olympism.

“In such a complex world, where the relationship with the world of money and business needs to be needed to supply sport, you need a lot of experience, lots of perspective and good judgment. And I think I have that experience. I have never been an athlete of the Olympic, I like it, but I also dedicate myself to things related to what an IOC president should do now“The Spanish candidate told EFE.

Samaranch has been in Lausana for two days, “with great bravery” and “very confident” their possibilities, resources of their surroundings indicated. This Wednesday participated in a presentation essay (In English and French, the only allowable language) In the same room where it will take place, in the Olympic House, the headquarters of the IOC.