The fate of Russia is being decided in sports – in the IOC elections of the new president: which candidates are good for us and which are not

Who claims to be a solid position? In Greece, in the coming days it will become known who will be the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The session will be held from March 18 to March 21, 2025. The place of the long-term boss of the organization Thomasa baha Seven people claim, one of whom will have to solve the main problem of recent years – what to do with Russians and Belarusians, many of which have still been removed from international starts since 2022.

Juan Antonio Samararanch Jr.

Vice-President of the International Union of Modern Pentategory (UIPM) Samararanch Jr., son of Juan Antonio Samararancha, who headed the IOC 21 years (from 1980 to 2001). He received the degree of industrial engineering and business administration. He worked as a financial analyst in senior positions in a number of companies. Then he focused on the modern pentathlon in Spain and at the international level. 65-year-old Samaranch is still a member of the National Olympic Committee of Spain. Since 2001, he is a member of the IOC. During this time, he worked in various commissions, was a member of the Coordination Commission of Games in Turin 2006, Sochi-2014.Getty Imagessamaranch initially held a position: it will be possible to think about some return of Russians to international starts only after the end of his. “Despite all the pressure from the world in connection with the conflict in Ukraine, there are 45 more conflicts that are not reported in the news and cause even more refugee streams and accept young people from all over the world, we must withstand all this pressure and remain with this pressure and stay The most immune-free ones. Therefore, we must follow the Olympic Charter, and no one can distract us from it. The causes of the reasons for which the Olympic Committee of Russia was removed, the participation of Russian athletes in the Milan Olympics as part of the national team will be impossible, ”Samararanch Jr. Mundo Deportivo said

Johan Eliash

The 63-year-old head of the International Sports Federation (FIS) from Sweden, before coming to sports, was engaged in the reorganization of companies, and was the executive director of the company for the production of sports goods. Also Eliash is a great defender of nature. He created the RainForest Trust Foundation, became a co -founder of the Cool Earth charitable organization and even helped the British government in preserving the forests and the fight against climate change. Fis was in 2021.Getty Imageskak the head of FIS, he did not speak about his personal attitude to the detached Russians and Belarusians, but as a candidate for the IOC post, he was forced to say something. “It is important to be neutral in these matters. Athletes are not responsible for where they were born, and they should not be punished for it. I am in order to allow them as it was at the Olympics in Paris. Then it worked very well, ”Radiosporten quotes Elias.

Faceal Al-Husseain

The Jordanian Prince has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a degree of management of management. He also has a pilot’s license and the experience of serving in the army. In the sport of a fighter and a motorcycle wrestler entered in 2003, when he was the president of the Olympic Committee of Jordan. In 2010, the Faisal hit the IOC. For several years now, the 61-year-old functionary has been in the working group to prevent harassment and abuse in sports and is also the deputy chairman of the commission on gender equality, diversity and inclusiveness. The prince adheres to the charter, like Samararanch. “I am guided by the Olympic Charter. If Russia complies with the charter, I have no reason to apply sanctions to it, ”said al-Hussain Inside the Games.Getty Images

David Laparten

The President of the International Cycling Union (UCI) is an engineer in the field public work. It has experience in politics. He was the mayor of the SARZO, a member of the Canton of the Sarzo Canton, a member of the Canton of the Department of Morbian, the president of the Council of the Morbian Department. Very closely connected with cycling. He headed the federation in his native France, re-elected to this post, created a bicycle dumplings of Saint-Kanten-An Ivelin. The 51-year-old functionary has grown to the boss of the European Bicycle Union (UEC), and then to the international. He was elected to UCI in 2017, and four years later re -elected for a new term. The IOC works in a number of directions, and recently became the chairman of the group for relations with e-sports. French is not guided by documents, but common sense, realizing that it is always unacceptable to deprive any country on equal terms with everyone. Perhaps that is why cylinder -pounders can act, albeit without a flag and anthem. “Historically, Russians have always been a sports nation, and the role and mission of the IOC is to unite people more peacefully through sports. They are destined to naturally return to the world of sports. The decision on this issue should be made in due time, but it is quite obvious that the country cannot be forever excluded from the Olympic movement. As for Milan-2026, I think we should not rush to the answer to this question, ”said LE DAUPHINE Lapartene.Getty Images

Morinari Vatanabe

The President of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) received education in the field of physical culture. He worked as a gymnastics coach, taught, and then went into the office work. He is an important person not only in Japanese gymnastics, but also of the world. He also had a hand in the organization of games-2020 in Tokyo. In addition to working in FIG, 66-year-old Vatanabe is also immersed in other things that are not related to gymnastics. Morinaria is a member of the Coordination Commission of the Olympiad in Los Angeles-2028, a member of the commissions on gender equality, diversity and inclusive, women in sports and so on. He is the only one of the candidates, but on the rights of the FIG boss, he visited Russia, and in his federation they are already allowed by Russians and Belarusians to international starts in the neutral status. As a contender for the post of head of the IOC, the Japanese has a fairly clear position. “Sports are independent of politics, our responsibility is to protect the right of athletes to attitude without discrimination,” said NHK Vatanabe.Getty Images

Kirsty Coventry

Plovchikha won the Olympic Games and World Championships, representing Zimbabwe. In 2004, at the Games in Athens, she sensationally won gold, ahead of 200 m on her distance on her back by Russian woman Stanislav Komarov. She began her career as a functionary with the post of Minister of Youth, Sports, Art and Rest Zimbabwe. Later she headed the IOC athletes, and in 2021 she became a member of the organization. Bach entrusted her to lead the coordination commissions of the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisben and the Youth Olympic Games of 2026 in Dakar. The collection was one of the few who supported the return of Russians to international starts. In addition, the thoughts of swimmer and with all those where there are also certain conflicts: “I think, the duty of the IOC is to ensure the participation of all athletes in the Olympics. At the same time, we need to find a way that athletes from conflict zones perform in the Olympics. I mean conflicts from my continent, and not just larger wars in Europe or in the Middle East. Once this could touch me personally because of the policy of apartheid. The international community simply had to prevent us, and I do not know where I would be if I had not been allowed. We need to consider different conditions, as we did in Paris, but the main thing is that we must ensure the participation of athletes from around the world and from the conflict zones, ”said Coventry RIA Novosti.Getty Images

Sebastian Cow

The head of the International Athletics Federation (World Athletics), which was in the past a runner for medium distances and won the OI and Che, I earned myself not the most positive reputation in Russia. Indeed, it is precisely because of the position of the 68-year-old British that our athletes for many years either do not compete at international starts at all, or in the most truncated composition. KOU did not allow any of the athletes to the Olympics in Paris, although he could, because the Federation (VFLA) was divorced from 2023. “I never doubted the correctness of this decision [запретить российским легкоатлетам соревноваться]. We did not focus on public opinion or on what the federations are going to do in other sports. Sorry, but I can’t be neutral, ”Cow InSide the Games admitted. It was that nothing shines with such a boss of Russia, but unexpectedly for all COU softened after a while.“ It’s not for me to develop peace agreements. ” In this case, you will have to take it very carefully. Obviously, the world is an unpredictable and complex thing … All conflicts end at the negotiation table. If this situation will come – and I hope that it will be – when a peace agreement will be reached, which will satisfy both parties, if it is reached … much better when people perform in your sport, and do not sit back.Getty images *** Of all the candidates, Coventry and COU were originally considered the main favorites. Not the very last person in this race and Samararanch Jr.. Kever can not only become the first woman-president of the IOC, as well as the first of Africa. In addition, the bang is drowning for her. Yes, and she does not look like a person who, after election, can change his position on the main sports issues at 360 degrees. COU has powerful media activity, everyone knows him. And he is even more dialect than Coventry. But he is sincere or not – no one ever knows. Sebastian can play the role that the situation requires. Including the situation with Russian athletes. Therefore, his supposedly softened position on our athletes does not mean anything. Samaranch is a little lost against the backdrop of Coventry and Cow, although he has a cool pedigree. In theory, he can be a good president of the IOC, like his father, but it is difficult to test this theory. If only Juan Antonio does not win the elections. It is simply impossible to call the possible President of the IOC from this three that is clearly convenient for Russia. Moreover, none of the candidates said that after his election he would immediately dilute our sport and everything will be as before. It remains to wait for the people to decide in the IOC during voting.