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Olympics-IOC Session Opens in Ancient Olympia as Presidential Election Looms
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
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The IOC session in ancient Olympia will conclude with the election of a new president. Seven candidates are in the running to succeed Thomas Bach.
IOC Session in Ancient Olympia as Presidential Election Nears
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee kicked of its session in Olympia, site of the ancient Games, on Tuesday that will culminate with the election of a new president on Thursday.
Outgoing President Thomas Bach, in his speech at the Olympic academy near the ancient stadium, made only a fleeting reference to Thursday's key vote where seven candidates will take a shot at world sport's most powerful and influential job.
The IOC is the world's wealthiest multi-sports organisation with revenues of about $7 billion per four-year cycle.
"This is a exactly what this session is about. A sacred pilgrimage to our ancient past," Bach told an audience that included IOC members and Greece's President Konstatinos Tasoulas.
"An homage to our modern origins and to our founder. And a manifestation of our faith in the future, when we will elect a new president," said Bach, who is stepping down in June after 12 years in charge.
The candidates are international cycling chief David Lappartient, current IOC vice-president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, multiple Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry, who is Zimbabwe's sports minister, and Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan.
International Gymnastics Federation head Morinari Watanabe and Olympic newcomer and multimillionaire Johan Eliasch, who heads the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, complete the list of candidates.
While there is no clear front-runner, as was the case in 2013 when then-favourite Bach swept to victory, Coe, Samaranch and Coventry, long seen as Bach's preferred choice, are considered to have an edge over the other candidates.
Just over 100 IOC members, including federation chiefs, national Olympic committee presidents, royalty and billionaires among others, will cast their votes on Thursday.
The new president is elected on an eight-year term with the possibility of re-election to a second four-year term for a maximum of 12 years in total.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Key Takeaways
- •The IOC session is being held in ancient Olympia.
- •A new IOC president will be elected on Thursday.
- •Thomas Bach is stepping down after 12 years.
- •Seven candidates are competing for the presidency.
- •The IOC is a major sports organization with $7 billion revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions about Olympics-IOC session opens in ancient Olympia as presidential election looms
1What is the main topic?
The main topic is the IOC presidential election taking place in ancient Olympia.
2Who is the outgoing president?
The outgoing president is Thomas Bach, stepping down after 12 years.
3Who are the candidates for the IOC presidency?
Candidates include David Lappartient, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, Sebastian Coe, Kirsty Coventry, Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Morinari Watanabe, and Johan Eliasch.
