Golden 25: #14 -- The IOC of the Future

(ATR) The Princess Royal has much to say about the composition of the IOC. As chair of IOC Commission on Election of New Members, she is a gatekeeper on the path to IOC membership.

Not that long ago there might be a new member or two every year or two, but the changing demographics of the IOC means as many as 10 new members are needed every year. Princess Anne and her small crew now go through the hundreds of applications to fit gender balance, geography and expertise to come up with a fresh group annually.

A wave of retirements will assure the need for a sizeable new class each year to keep the IOC membership in the range of 100, or 15 short of the Olympic Charter limit.

A number of countries that traditionally have held seats in the IOC -- some since the founding of the IOC in 1894 -- are clamoring for new members. Greece, Mexico and Cuba are among those hoping for seats in 2019. Will Susanne Lyons, new president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, receive a nomination in 2019?

Notably absent from the IOC membership are leaders of the biggest federations: Sebastian Coe at IAAF, and Gianni Infantino of FIFA.

Robin Mitchell, whose stature is growing within the IOC, is one of six members of the elections commission. Others include Julio César Maglione, Zaiqing Yu, Dagmawit Girmay Berhane and Christophe De Kepper, who already figure into the Golden 25 for a variety of reasons. This IOC plum commission is one of them.

Meetings have taken place in London to more easily suit the schedule of the chair. Easier reach for most than Lausanne, anyway.

The Around the Rings Golden 25 is the annual survey of individuals who will have the most influence for the Olympic Movement in the year ahead. First published in 1997, this is the 22nd edition.

Homepage photo: IOC

Reported by Ed Hula.