Lord Coe among seven candidates to be new IOC president

World Athletics president Lord Coe has been named as one of seven confirmed candidates to succeed Thomas Bach as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president.

Bach announced at the Paris Olympics last month that he intends to stand down after the end of his second term next year.

Britain’s two-time Olympic 1500m champion Coe faces competition from Spaniard Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, France’s David Lappartient, Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry, Japan’s Morinari Watanabe, Swede Johan Eliasch and Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan.

Coventry, a seven-time Olympic swimming medallist, is bidding to become the first woman and African to head the IOC.

German lawyer Bach has been in charge since 2013.

The new IOC president will be elected at a session in ancient Olympia from 18-21 March 2025 and will take over in June of that year.

Candidates will make presentations to the full IOC membership at a private meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, in January.

All IOC presidents have been men, with eight of the nine from Europe and one from the United States.

Coe said Olympic sport was “fundamental to my DNA” on social media.

“The Covid years saw many people struggle through inactivity and many sports organisations suffer through lack of funds. We need to invest more in both over the next decade,” he added.

“A laser-like focus on sport must be the priority for the IOC. I believe I can help achieve this and more.”

Under current IOC rules Coe would not be able to serve the full eight-year first term of office as he reaches the IOC age limit of 70 in 2026, but he abolished similar restrictions on becoming president of World Athletics.