Samaranch, Coe and Coventry appear to hold the edge in Olympic body's election

The race to succeed Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is nearing the finish, with Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, Sebastian Coe and Kirsty Coventry widely seen to be clear of the remaining quartet.

- COSTA NAVARINO

Any of those three would be an historic winner in the election in Greece on March 20.

Samaranch would emulate his father of the same name and become the first father and son to be elected president, Coe would be the first Briton and Zimbabwean Coventry the youngest at 41, and both the first woman and African.

Nevertheless, surprises from the electorate of 100-plus IOC members cannot be ruled out in the battle to become the most powerful figure in sports governance.

Ski federation chief and renowned environmentalist Johan Eliasch, Morinari Watanabe, president of the gymnastics federation, cycling head David Lappartient and Prince Feisal al-Hussein make up the heavyweight field.

Whoever wins will take over a financially secure body, but those calm waters are muddied by a febrile geopolitical situation.

Adding to the potent mix, the new IOC chief will have to deal with unpredictable US President Donald Trump as Los Angeles hosts the next Olympics in 2028.

In this "very complex world", as Samaranch termed it, where previously undisputed truths such as "universality, fraternity and unity" are now disputed, it is no time to take a leap in the dark.