Two Candidates Seek Gymnastics' Top Job

(ATR) The International Gymnastics Federation will have a new president for the first time in 20 years this October.

Two contenders submitted their official candidature files to the FIG on May 17 in a bid to replace outgoing president Bruno Grandi. Grandi took over as president in 1996 and became an IOC member in 2000.

European Gymnastics Union president Georges Guelzec of France and Japan Gymnastics Association secretary general Morinari Watanabe will now begin a five month campaign to become the federation’s ninth president since it was established in 1881.

Guelzec, 68, announced his intention to run for the position in January. Guelzec is also the vice president of the French Gymnastics Federation and competed on the French Olympic team at Munich in 1972.

"I am sure that our candidate Georges Guelzec will be an excellent President of the International Federation," said FGF president James Blateau. "He has been involved in gymnastics for 35 years at the national and international level, and has shown himself as an excellent manager in the service of the sport. He also possesses plenty of new ideas, which gymnastics needs right now."

Watanabe, 57, is a member of the FIG executive committee and also a former gymnast. Watanabe decided to join the race in April.

"Mr. Watanabe is both a leader with gymnastics experience and a brilliant businessman. His leadership has revived Japanese gymnastics," said JGA president Hidenori Futagi. "I am confident that he would be able to form a new FIG by fully respecting President Grandi’s achievements as well as the FIG’s history."

The next president will be chosen at the FIG Congress being held in Tokyo from Oct. 18-20. Grandi will relinquish his presidential mandate in December.

Written by Kevin Nutley

Homepage photo: Getty Images

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