Olympic contest to pick IOC president is quirky and controlled by tight campaign and voting rules

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach speaks during a press conference, ahead of the 144th session which will elect the new IOC President, in Costa Navarino, southwestern Greece, Monday, March 17, 2025.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach speaks during a press conference, ahead of the 144th session which will elect the new IOC President, in Costa Navarino, southwestern Greece, Monday, March 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)


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COSTA NAVARINO, Greece — The IOC is the undisputed champion of running the most tightly managed sports election. It's been compared by veteran Olympic watchers to a conclave to pick a pope. Some of the seven presidential candidates in the contest on Thursday in Greece have aired frustrations with getting limited access to their fellow International Olympic Committee members during a five-month campaign. The voters themselves will get minimal updates between rounds of casting secret ballots on election day. The IOC has published restrictive rules for campaigning and voting. One leading contender Sebastian Coe has said "It has been difficult to engage."

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