The Olympic Rings sit on display outside the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Headquarters on January 11, 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

LAUSANNE, September 12, 2024 – With less than a week to the deadline by which any IOC member wishing to be Thomas Bach’s successor must express their intention to run in next year’s presidential election, the IOC Ethics Commission has stressed: “The IOC President must be a member of the IOC at the time of the election and during the entire duration of their term as IOC President.”

AGE LIMIT The age limit for IOC membership is 70, with only one possibility of a four-year extension. And this could pose a barrier for the likes of World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, who is 67 years old. IOC vice president Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, who turns 65 in November, is another potential candidate facing this hurdle. If elected, it is unlikely that Coe or Samaranch would complete the first term of eight years, under the current rules stated in the Olympic Charter.

“The Olympic Charter does not grant the IOC President any exception regarding the end of their membership because of either the age limit or the loss of the function for which the member was elected, namely as an active athlete, or as a president or holding an executive or senior leadership position within an NOC or IF,” the IOC Ethics Commission Chair Ban Ki-moon highlighted in a two-page letter dated September 9 and sent to all the IOC Members.

Coe became an IOC member in 2020 through his position as World Athletics president - he will complete the maximum 12 years in that role in 2027.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST Meanwhile Ban’s letter also touched on conflict of interest “between the mission of the IOC president to represent the IOC as the leader of the Olympic Movement and the mission of a president of an NOC (National Olympic Committee) or an IF (International Federation), which are individual constituents of the Olympic Movement”. The letter further stated that “this conflict could be resolved only if, after the election of the IOC President, the IOC Session held another vote for a change of membership status.”

TIMELINE Interested candidates have until September 15 to declare their intention to vie for the top job of the Olympic Movement. The IOC said it will publish the list of candidates on September 16.

Between January 20 and 24, 2025 in Lausanne, the candidates will be invited by the IOC to present to the IOC Members their candidatures, plans and views on the IOC presidency.

The new president will be elected by IOC members in March 2025 at a session in ancient Olympia, Greece and the term of office will begin on June 24, 2025, “allowing the newly elected IOC President to leave any previous office or position, and in order to facilitate a smooth transition between the current IOC President and the newly elected IOC President,” according to the IOC.

The directives and applicable rules of the election can be found here.

IOC's CLARIFICATION Following the publication of Ban's letter, the IOC released this statement: “We have been made aware of media reports that are misinterpreting the latest letter by the IOC Ethics Commission Chair to all IOC Members.

“The letter clarifies the existing rules as per the Olympic Charter, which have applied, and continue to apply, to everyone in the IOC membership. There are no new rules, contrary to what has been reported.

“If the IOC membership of a candidate lapses before the end of their presidential term, this term would cease when their IOC membership finishes.

“The points were already addressed during both the IOC Session in Mumbai in 2023 and the IOC Session in Paris in 2024.