“Olympics games should go to Africa”

The French David LappartientPresident of International Cycling Union (ICU) and the French National Olympic Committee, He defended on Thursday that the Olympic Games “must go to Africa”, during speech to showcase their candidacy for the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“The IOC is on five continents, the sport is on all continents. Africa will have youth games (Dakar 2026), but also Olympic games should go to Africa. I don’t speak a certain date, but I want it because he deserves it, “Lappartient said at a brief meeting with the Lausana (Switzerland) media, after his presentation.

“I hope to convince my colleagues that I can be a good leader for the IOC,” the candidate said.

Lappartient said Russia, a country that is currently separated from the Olympic movement, cannot be “Suspended forever “because it is” a sports country. But he understood that raising the penalties of a series of conditions should be given. Therefore, it would be “premature” to speak a return of Russian athletes in 2026 winter games.

The French candidate defended his curriculum as a sporting leader by saying that the IOC presidency “It is a matter of leadership, vision and unity through dialogue and differences.

After referring to climate change, and asked about the irony that many dozen IOC members flew to Swiss To listen to a 15 -Minute intervention where they cannot ask, Laptien said that He did not make the rules.

“But if most COI members are here because they consider what is important and want to listen to us,” he added.

The list of candidates to rule the IOC after the election of March 20 was completed by the Spanish Juan Antonio Samaranch, The British Sebastian COEJapanese Morinori Watanabe, The Swedish-British Johan EliaschThe prince of Jordan Feisal to Hussein and the Zimbabuense Kirsty Coventrywishing to be the first woman in the head of the IOC.