IOC Officially Announce Six Presidential Candidates
June 7, 2013
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has officially announced the six candidates who will compete to replace Jacques Rogge as president.
The six candidates, who have been known for some time, include Germany’s Thomas Bach, Sergey Bubka of Ukraine, Puerto Rico’s Richard Carrion, Ser Miang Ng of Singapore, Swiss Denis Oswald and China’s Ching-Kuo Wu.
Thomas Bach is the head of the German Olympic sports federation and is a vice-president at the IOC.
Bach declared his candidacy at the beginning of May and said he was ‘humbly aware of the magnitude of the task of an IOC president.’
Bubka was the final candidate to announce his intentions and the greatest pole vaulter in history commented: “I always loved sport. Sport is in my blood, in my genes. Experience as an athlete and as an Olympian also means a lot.
“Our future target is to engage the youth to stay with the Olympic movement. To learn how to build friendships and to have ethics.”
Carrión, 60, has been a member of the IOC since 1990 and chairs the Finance Commission. He is also a member of the IOC’s Marketing, TV and Internet Rights Commission.
At his announcement Carrion said there was a lot ‘at stake in this election’ and added that their ‘place in the world is not guaranteed.’
(Top row L-R: Bach, Bubka, Carrion. Bottom row L-R: Ser Miang Ng, Oswald, Wu)
Ser Miang Ng, the first vice-president of the IOC officially entered the race in mid-May saying he was ‘confident that working together with my IOC colleagues, we can build on the successful legacies of Presidents Rogge and Samaranch to further strengthen Olympism’s influence and inspire the lives of youth around the world.’
Head of International Amateur Boxing Association, Dr Ching-Kuo Wu launched his candidacy a couple of weeks ago and referred to his ‘magical moments’ in the Olympic movement and boldly proposed to make the world a better place, ‘not only for our athletes and the Olympic family, but also for our neighbours and society at large.’
Oswald, who is the president of International Rowing Federation (FISA) said his ‘knowledge and experience … will enable me to advance the Olympic cause and enhance the IOC’s authority as the leader of world sport.’
Oswald was the final candidate to throw his hat into the ring and after former Olympic hurdles champion Nawal El Moutawakel ruled herself out of the running, the six were confirmed as the official candidates for the presidency.
The candidates will present their programmes, in camera, to the full IOC membership on the occasion of the Extraordinary IOC Session in Lausanne on 3 and 4 July 2013.
The decision will be announced in September at the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires.
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