Jamaican sprint great Usain Bolt has made his pick for the seat of IOC president that has attracted seven candidates, among them World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe.
Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt has made his pick for the hotly-contested seat of president of the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
The IOC elections will take place at the 144th IOC Session set to be held in Greece from March 18-21 and the presidential seat has attracted World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, Spaniard Juan Antonio Samaranch, the current IOC vice president, Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry, who would become the first woman to lead the body, and Frenchman David Lappartient, the World Cycling President.
Others are Jordanian Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Japanese businessman and international gymnastics head Morinari Watanabe and ski and snowboard federation boss Swedish-Briton Johan Eliasch.
Bolt, a legendary figure in athletics, is backing a man he knows too well for the top seat to succeed outgoing German Thomas Bach.
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“Best wishes to @worldathletics President @sebcoeofficial on his quest to become @olympics IOC President next week. Seb’s vision of Sport First, Tomorrow’s Generation, Athletes at the Heart, Growth and Empowerment is what is needed for the future of the Olympic movement,” Bolt posted on Instagram on Friday, throwing his weight behind Coe.
Coe, the 2012 London Olympics Organizing Committee chairman, has been World Athletics boss since 2015 and has made a number of promises if gets the IOC top seat, among them being to ensure transgender athletes are not allowed to compete, have prize money to Olympics medalists as well as hosting Olympics Games in Africa for the first time.
The two-time Olympics 1,500m champion, however, faces stiff competition from Samaranch and Coventry, who are considered frontrunners, and it remains to be seen if the endorsement from Bolt will help sway some votes his way.
Bolt is one of the most influential and respected voices, not just in track and field but in sport as a whole, given his legacy as the greatest sprinter of all-time thanks his 11 world titles and eight Olympics gold medals as well as being the 100m and 200m world record holder.