The Race to Olympia - via Kyiv

The campaign to elect a new IOC President is entering the final stages with one candidate claiming their chances have been underestimated, while the schedule of another has taken an unexpected detour

Time is running out for the seven candidates standing to replace Thomas Bach as International Olympic Committee President to get their messages across and try convincing other members to vote for them with the election due to take place in Greece in only 16 days’ time.

Last weekend’s European Olympic Committees General Assembly in Frankfurt was a good opportunity for Sebastian Coe, Kirsty Coventry, Johan Eliasch, Prince Feisal al Hussein, David Lappartient, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. and Morinari Watanabe to meet IOC members from the continent that represents the largest bloc of voters.

This was the last official opportunity for the seven to gather and pitch their ideas before the vote in Costa Navarino at the IOC Session on March 20. Controversially, the candidates have all been prevented under the much criticised electoral rules from visiting Algiers on March 15 for the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa General Assembly. Even Coventry, who as a Zimbabwean is the only African candidate standing, is not allowed to attend.