In an election that was expected to stretch into multiple rounds of voting, it was more or less over before it began. After just two minutes, the next IOC president was announced by Thomas Bach: Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry, the sole female candidate and, at 41 years of age, the youngest. Some 49 out of 97 votes fell her way, making the election an unexpected landslide.
Among the candidates licking their wounds: Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (son of Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC president from 1980-2001), who was one of the clear early favourites, in second place with 28 votes. Lord Sebastian Coe – regarded as the most qualified candidate but with some baggage in the form of his age (he would have been ineligible to serve a full term without an exemption) and a series of spats with outgoing president Bach – picked up just eight votes. David Lappartient, president of cycling’s governing body, picked up some crumbs – four votes.
So where does that leave us? Where does that leave him? Where might it have gone wrong, and what will Coventry bring to the role? Let’s do some digging.
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