Whoever wins, there has already been scrutiny of a process lacking transparency, but this will only intensify if Coventry is successful because she is widely seen as Bach’s preferred choice.
The sole female candidate has played down suggestions that the outgoing president has been rallying support for her, but this could be an intriguing final test of Bach’s influence. He has declined to deny he has been lobbying for Coventry, but the power he still wields was clear on Wednesday when some IOC members compared a tearful Bach to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
Coventry has also had to defend her association with the government of controversial President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has faced allegations of corruption and human rights abuses.
Samaranch Jnr is seen by many as the favourite, but has faced questions over the fact that two Chinese IOC members who sit on the board of his family foundation – which is based in China – are permitted to vote.
When asked by BBC Sport whether that hands him an unfair advantage, he defended the rules. If he emulates his father – who raised the profile of the Olympic movement but was also president at the time of the damaging 1999 Salt Lake City corruption scandal – it may not be the best look for the governing body at a time when it is trying to modernise.
Coe has received the support of athletes such as Usain Bolt and Mo Farah, but is seen as something of a disruptor by many within the Olympic movement. As head of World Athletics, he has taken a tougher stance than the IOC with Russia over both doping and the invasion of Ukraine.
He has also called for better IOC leadership over gender policies after an eligibility controversy overshadowed the women’s boxing competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
His surprise move to award cash for gold medals at last year’s Paris Olympics also antagonised the IOC. He has also said that too much power has been concentrated at the top of the IOC and not enough has been made of the members’ talents.
