Sept 17, V7N - Seven candidates are in the running for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidency in next year's election, which will take place in March 2025. Notable contenders include World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister and Olympic champion Kirsty Coventry, and Johan Eliasch, the head of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

Current IOC President Thomas Bach is stepping down after 12 years in office. Coe, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former head of the London 2012 Games, and Coventry, Zimbabwe’s most decorated Olympian, are among the prominent candidates. Coventry, the only woman in the race, has the potential to become the IOC's first female president and the first from Africa.

Other candidates include IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch, cycling chief David Lappartient, Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, and Morinari Watanabe, head of the International Gymnastics Federation. Each candidate will present their programs in January 2025, ahead of the March election in ancient Olympia, Greece.

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