HomeAlpine SkiingIOC CANDIDATE STATEMENTS II: Coventry embraces digital outreach, Eliasch emphasizes business, efficiency; Lappartient has a steady hand

IOC CANDIDATE STATEMENTS II: Coventry embraces digital outreach, Eliasch emphasizes business, efficiency; Lappartient has a steady hand

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≡ IOC PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ≡

(Second of three parts reviewing the Candidate Statements for the IOC Presidency, to be voted on in March 2025 at the 144th IOC Session in Greece.)

The International Olympic Committee published Thursday (19th) the candidate statements of the six men and one woman contending to be the next IOC President, from 2025 to 2033. A look at each and the positions the candidates are taking to appeal to the membership, in alphabetical order.

Kirsty Coventry (ZIM)

Coventry, the Minister of Sport, Art and Recreation in Zimbabwe, is the only woman in the candidate field and at 41, the youngest, with no age issues relative to the Olympic Charter. A five-time Olympian, a seven-time Olympic medalist in swimming and an IOC member since 2013, she has been deeply involved in sport and has been a key player in the IOC Athletes’ Commission and as the head of multiple Olympic Coordination Commissions.

Her 24-page submittal highlights five priorities:

● “Harness the Power of Sport”
● “Maximize Collaboration & Engagement”
● “Strengthen Partnerships for Mutual Growth”
● “Champion Sustainable Development”
● “Advance Credibility & Trust”

True to her athlete background, she emphasizes athletes and sport in her opening section:

“Athletes face growing pressures to represent their clubs, countries, and compete in numerous events worldwide and this requires us to create an environment where athletes are further supported and valued. Recognizing that athletes are more than competitors, we must continue to prioritize their mental health, physical recovery, and amplify their holistic well-being to help them thrive throughout their athletic careers and beyond.”

She wants to increase visibility in the years between Olympic Games, especially using artificial intelligence. She promises more support for the National Olympic Committees, but especially the International Federations:

“Actively involving IFs means initiating a new approach by which IFs would be in a leading position when it comes to their sport at the Games. It also means that IFs would be in a better position to draw full benefit of increased revenues generated by this new approach, including the opportunities offered by the Olympic Qualifiers, the Olympic E-Sports Games and the exploitation of AI and digital engagement activities.”

She also promises better communications, as a path for better outreach:

“Improved internal communications between us will lead to better external communications where traditional media and journalists will have more access to sharing our ideas and triumphs. But this also means we may face greater criticism. We should be okay with this. My years of facing public scrutiny in the pool, in parliament and as chairperson of my various IOC portfolios, has built a confidence and strength within me to take full responsibility for all our decisions.”

And that creates significant opportunities for worldwide engagement, one person at a time:

“Digital platforms, AI-powered fan engagement tools, and innovative media solutions can extend the Olympic experience to audiences in regions with limited traditional coverage. Leveraging AI technology can also create immersive experiences, empowering fans to curate their own viewing experiences. By bringing the Olympic Games directly into the hands and hearts of people everywhere, the IOC can reinforce its commitment to solidarity, expand its global footprint, and create a stronger connection with younger, digitally savvy audiences.”

Coventry emphasized the need for maintaining a focus on sustainability and carefully considering the burden an Olympic or Winter Games places on a host community. As for credibility, her commitment is “Zero tolerance for corruption, doping and unethical behaviour.”

Coventry is the preferred candidate of IOC President Thomas Bach (GER); given her relative youth and experience in sport and her government roles in Zimbabwe, will she be the right person to lead at a time when the world is in conflict? That’s a question for the IOC membership to decide. Coventry says she wants to tackle that challenge:

“So often, these differences are rooted in misconceptions. When given the chance to connect on a level playing field, we discover a willingness to embrace new perspectives, accept without judgment, and work together toward a shared purpose.”

Johan Eliasch (GBR)

The long-time chief executive of the Head sporting goods company, the Swedish-born billionaire is now the company chairman and was elected to the IOC in mid-2024 as the President of the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS), which he is restructuring, especially in the commercial sector. As such a new member of the IOC, his candidature is the most surprising.

At 62, he would be able to serve to age 70 at 2032 (a year short of a full first term), but can be extended for four years, leaving him just short of a second term of four years. His 25-page manifesto pictures the Earth on the cover, extending his long focus on environmental and sustainability issues, but is visually striking, using comic-style and lithographic color sets of sporting images to engage the reader.

He summarizes his program in 12 short statements:

● “We need a fresh strategic plan.”
● “Equality for all members.”
● “Businesslike and entrepreneurial.”
● “More for less.”
● “Sporting excellence front and centre.”
● “Our athletes come first.”
● “Women’s sports have to be ring-fenced.”
● “The greatest show on earth.”
● “Digitalisation changes everything.”
● “AI is the new reality; embracing it is essential.”
● “Sustainability must be central to the IOC agenda.”
● “The IOC is, first and foremost, a team.”

Eliasch wants a new, five-year business plan for the IOC, with more efficiency, a better experience – before, during and after the Games – for athletes, go digital-first to engage the audiences of today and tomorrow and a bold approach to sustainability.

His summary also notes, “I will initiate a review of all sports and formats to maximise their attractiveness to fans.” That will send chills down the spines of some IOC members who represent sports which already lag in popularity.

The core of his candidacy is his enormous success in life, in business, technology and government:

“If we are to stay ahead of the game, the IOC needs a safe and experienced pair of hands who can hit the ground running and is capable of bringing members and others on a journey to an ever-brighter future. We need highly experienced leadership, gained over decades at the sharp end of sports administration, business, politics and philanthropic endeavours.

“Our next president must have steered a large organisation and managed change within it; faced a blizzard of decisions to make every day; and not only made decisions but overseen their delivery too. The experience of personally leading a multi-faceted global organisation cannot be picked up on the job. The demands of such a role are intense at any time, but now – at this juncture of rapid geopolitical, technological and cultural change – they are exceptionally challenging, demanding exceptional experience. This is, to paraphrase a political slogan, no time for a novice.”

He also emphasizes the need for better involvement of IOC members and their shared passion for what sport can bring. But he comes back to achievement:

“There must be zero complacency in our drive to excel. We ask our athletes to challenge world and Olympic records, and we need to offer the same level of administrative and commercial skills to match and showcase their extraordinary talents.”

He is crystal-clear on protecting women’s sport from males who have experienced puberty, prefers empowering many athletes vs. giving prize money to a few, wants to bring sport and entertainment closer together and explore mixed relays of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

As for the future of the Games as a televised spectacle:

“Three big shifts are shaping and disrupting this landscape: the shift from live programming to highlights; from traditional formats to storytelling; and from traditional commercial models to You Tubers, free streaming with presenting partners, product placement and so on. In this context, staying relevant is a very real challenge. We must stay ahead of the curve – both digitally and in live events.”

For sponsors, current and future, brand integration and activations are key and are a new area for the IOC to better explore. And the Games themselves can be improved: “I am confident that with new technologies and closer involvement by the international federations we can deliver future editions of the Games more efficiently, at significantly less cost – and at an even higher standard of quality.”

He also proposes “a new Forest City initiative, in which a portion of rainforest which is the exact size of the host city is conserved, meeting the criteria of permanence, leakage and additionality.” He likes the idea of a Winter Games site rotation among permanent host areas, and continuing the “neutral athlete” concept pioneered in 2024.

David Lappartient (FRA)

The President of the Union Cycliste Internationale and the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF), Lappartient, 51, has no age issues, but was voted into the IOC only recently, in 2022. He has been Bach’s primary agent with the e-sports community, giving him a higher profile within the IOC in the past year, making him a more attractive candidate.

He filed a colorful, 27-page statement which headlines eight major challenges he sees ahead for the IOC:

● “Apprehending the Challenges of Global Instability:
● “Dealing with Climate Issues”
● “Taking into Account Technological Challenges and Artificial Intelligence”
● “Promoting Universal Olympic Values”
● “The Future of the Olympic Games”
● “Future Revenue Streams and the Olympic Movement”
● “Turning Sport into a Tool for a Better World”
● “Consolidating the IOC and Guaranteeing Exemplary Governance”

Lappartient urged caution on the way Olympic Games are expanding, but appreciated the change in bidding procedures that re-encouraged cities and countries to want the Games again:

● “We are receiving numerous bids again, but we should avoid an XXL approach. This is really important if we want to continue encouraging bids across the world, with particular consideration for the model of the Winter Olympic Games against the backdrop of global warming.”

● “The number of bids to organise the Olympic Games, which had been decreasing in a context of soaring budgets, has bounced back following the adoption of Agenda 2020 and ‘The New Norm.’ Selecting the host cities of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games far in advance was the right move because it insulated the IOC and the members of the Olympic Movement from the need to make an immediate decision and creates the right conditions for a calm debate on the future of the Olympic Games and their stakeholders.”

Like other candidates, Lappartient emphasizes more decision-making for the membership, and wants the IOC membership to achieve gender parity no later than 2036. He also wants to increase the number of IOC members to admit more athletes to the group.

His manifesto recites a long list of issues which need to be addressed, but includes a few specific ideas or suggestions. He ends with a 30-item list of pledges, however, which are more concrete.

These include better dialogue and roles for IOC members, opening high-performance centers with NOC confederations and the International Federations, more athlete representation, “taking the Olympic Games to Africa,” an emphasis on maintaining political neutrality and creating an “Agenda 2036.”

In an interview published in the manifesto, he sums up the reason for his candidature as:

“The IOC Presidency is a key role requiring a broad skill set: in-depth knowledge of sport, diplomacy, management, finance and international relations, natural leadership and the ability to bring people (back) together. I believe that I have these skills, as well as the desire to serve the IOC and the Olympic Movement and the level of experience required to run as a candidate.

“These turbulent times in every aspect of life demand a president who can keep a steady hand on the helm in a crisis and defend our positions, someone who has ample experience and is in synch with the world of today.”

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