Paris, France | INSIDE THE GAMES | The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has introduced new election rules that could prevent Sebastian Coe from running for its presidency.
These clarifications come just before Sunday’s deadline to enter the race to succeed Thomas Bach next year, The Associated Press report.
A letter sent by the IOC ethics commission to its 111 members, including Coe and other possible candidates, highlighted challenges for Coe, the 67-year-old head of World Athletics, in serving a full term as IOC president.
The letter, who The Associated Press claim to have seen, emphasised that candidates must be IOC members “on election day and during the entire duration of their term as IOC President.”
Coe’s IOC membership depends on his role at World Athletics, which he must vacate in 2027 after serving 12 years, complicating his eligibility.
Another contender, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, may face issues due to the IOC’s age limit of 70, which could affect his ability to complete a full presidential term.
The letter, signed by ethics commission chair Ban Ki Moon, further noted, “The charter makes no exceptions for the president, who is an IOC member under the same conditions as all the other members.”
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SOURCE: INSIDE THE GAMES