The Hula Report: IOC Election Jumble

(ATR) IOC members will vote for 10 seats on the ruling Executive Board at the IOC session next week.

While that figure is two-thirds of the 15 members, early prognostication shows that not much will change on the IOC ruling body. Even after voting for 10 different seats on the EB, there could be only three new faces joining the board.

The predictability is because four seats are earmarked for candidates representing summer and winter federations, NOCs, and the Athletes Commission. Those candidates come already nominated by the respective groups.

Incumbents are favored for most of the other six positions.

The exception will be one seat that could provide the only contested vote among the 10 up for grabs.

That’s the seat currently held by Ugur Erdener of Turkey, who will be running for one of the two vice presidencies open this year. Nawal El Moutawakel and Craig Reedie will be stepping down as vice presidents.

Erdener’s open seat will be contested by Swiss veteran Denis Oswald, whose last term was four years ago, and Habu Gumel of Nigeria, who is making his first run for a seat.

Juan Antonio Samaranch, son of the late IOC president, is considered a favorite for the second vice presidency. He currently is an EB member whose four-year term expires this year.

Oswald, who has headed the rowing Federation as well as the coordination commission for the Athens Olympics, is one of themost knowledgeable members regarding Olympic operations.

Gumel is president of the Nigerian Olympic Committee. With the departure this year of Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco, the board will be left without any member from Africa. Gumel could fill that void.

In the revolving door style of IOC elections, two members of the EB whose terms end this year will be seeking reelection: Sergey Bubka of Ukraine and Willi Kaltschmitt of Guatemala. They are both favorites, depending on whetherthere’s opposition.

August 3 is the deadline for IOC members to declare for any of the Executive Board seats. That is just one day ahead of the vote August 4. The voting, which could last an hour or more despite the absence of contested seats will come near the close of business at the session.

The remaining three positions on the EB that the IOC will be asked to ratify are expected to go to:

-- Patrick Hickey of Ireland, representing the Association of National Olympic Committees

-- C.K. Wu of Chinese Taipei, representing the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations

-- Gian Franco Kasper of Switzerland, representing the Association of International Olympic Winter Federations, will take the seat now held by Rene Fasel.

-- Angela Ruggiero, elected president Sunday as president of theIOC Athletes Commission. She takes over from Claudia Bokel with her term ending.

The IOC also will elect eight new members at the end of the Session this week.

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Written by Ed Hula.

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