By Lori Ewing
PARIS (Reuters) – World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said he would consider running for Thomas Bach’s job after the head of the International Olympic Committee said he will not seek to stay on after his second term ends in 2025.
Bach has been in charge since 2013, while Coe, a two-time Olympic 1,500 metres champion and president of the 2012 London Olympics Organising Committee, has previously expressed his interest in the IOC position.
“I’ve always made it clear that if the opportunity arose, I would obviously give it serious thought,” Coe said at a press conference to wrap up the Olympics athletics competition on Sunday.
“The opportunity has arisen, and clearly I need to think about that.”
A new IOC president will be elected next March at thesession at ancient Olympia and will take over in June, Bach said.
Coe said while his experience speaks for itself, there are plenty of qualified candidates.
“I have been involved in the Olympic movement for the larger part of my life. I’ve chaired an Olympic Games from bids through delivery and two years of legacy after that. I’ve been privileged to compete in two Olympics Games, and I’ve chaired a National Olympic Committee, and I now have the best job in the world, I’m president of the number one Olympic sport,” Coe said.
“These are experiences that if you put together, I think would be beneficial to the role.
“But there are other potential candidates who have good qualifications for that role,” he added.
“We’re a diverse group of people, global people. There is a talented membership. That membership needs to be embraced. I think the membership needs to have a good range of quality qualified people to look at.”
At 67, Coe’s age might work against him amid talk about the global organization needing an injection of younger leaders.
He has also made some decisions as head of World Athletics that did not sit well with some leading figures in world sport, such as to award $50,000 to athletics gold medallists at the Paris Olympics.
No IOC member has yet openly campaigned to succeed Bach butseveral have been linked with possible runs for the presidencyif and when he steps down.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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