IGiven the scale of Kirsticoventry's earthquake victory in the International Olympic Committee presidential election, T may sound beyond outrage. However, some really believed that the outcome was very different as various royals, sports officials, politicians and billionaires left the Costa Navalino Resort on Friday.
Yes, the 41-year-old Zimbabwean former Swimer won by 49 votes, becoming the first woman to lead the IOC with 49 votes in the first round. And yes, other members of “Big 3” Juan Antonio Samaranche and Sebastian Coeur won just 28 and 8 votes, respectively. However, after his death there were several stories about how the IOC machine moved Thomas Bach's successor on the line.
“We were hearing call members: 'Don't waste your vote, do the right thing,'” said a well-placed source. Another was recognized: “The lobbying and strong arting were intense.” There were also reports that at least one IOC member went to Bach and expressed discomfort.
Some camps believe it changed the entire race. For months, most candidates had their own internal trackers. This predicted who each IOC member would vote per round as the lowest scoring candidate was dropped. And at the beginning of the week, some camps had similar numbers for the crucial first round of votes.
Samaranche had either 24, 28 votes or 30 votes in the bag, depending on who you spoke to. The Coe Lord ranged from 20 to 26. Two camps had Coventry in their 20s or mid-20s, but a little more expensive, but the consensus was that everything could still be played.
At this point, Coe was still hoping that his message was at work as a candidate for change. And he saw the path to victory in the later rounds. He promised to switch to Coventry after his first round of vote lending.
Meanwhile, Samaranche wanted to slow his charm, his small change manifesto, and his 24 years of voting in the IOC. Until the last 48 hours, most thought he was a small favourite.
However, both men's danger zones will always be the first round. They knew Coventry would have to knock them out early, as Coventry wouldn't get more votes in the later rounds. Their mistake didn't believe she could do it.
However, there were signs of growth 24 hours before the election. Coventry had gained serious momentum. The first came when Bach became Honorary IOC Chairman. When the 71-year-old won the award, he pretended to be surprised, despite knowing for certain it was coming. However, after that, an hour of tribute was given to me by the IOC members. The members shed tears, and others compared him to Nelson Mandela.
“My dear President, may the Olympic gods continue to guide you,” said his deputy, Nicole Hoelberts. It's no wonder that one critic described it as “a level of ambiguity that he would have not seen the Pyongyang Politics scene.”
But the people in the room were split up about what this choreography really meant. Didn't he feel too angry when Coventry was defeated as IOC membership gave Bach a send-off? Or did it mean that the 71-year-old German was giving final reminders to members of his powers and how he wanted him to vote?
One team of candidates admitted they misunderstood it. “It was a classic example where you see signs, but you tell yourself it's something else,” they said.
By Thursday morning it was clear that Coventry was picking up steam. Observers believe her vote has risen to her forties. Meanwhile, Bach looked remarkably cheerful as he cracked the joke that he was a lame duck.
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In the afternoon, the 10-minute coffee break was now 45 minutes prior to the scheduled 4pm election. Did Coventry supporters try to make their final push? Did you ask about some of the rooms?
Whatever the reason, it worked. After a slight delay when IOC member Samira Asgari struggled to vote, IOC Director Christophe de Caper told her, “You're testing my nerves and the nerves of candidates.”
Others went after death while Coventry celebrated. Most people agreed that when asked by the IOC election rule book, which states that “the IOC administration will always maintain strict neutrality,” the IOC election rule book, which states that the written paper may not be worth it, Coe adopted a much larger haircut in the final stage.
However, when Ko was asked if it was a clean fight, he was optimistic. “Oh, that's an election.” Another influential voice made a similar point, but “Election – what's new?”
However, this was a very strict contest with rules, so when the entire IOC members had dinner at Lausanne in January, seven candidates were gathered at the table with Bach, where Lobster and Couscous starters followed by COD, not lobbying potential voters.
However, there is still some uncertainty in some quarters, but there is a sense that memberships will move ahead and bring the rank closer to behind Coventry. After all, there is a tendency that the IOC does. It's no wonder IOC Honorary Member Dick Pound said the voting process “makes the Vatican Conclave look like an open house.”
For Coe, his requiem for lost dreams will likely return to whether he misjudged the scope of Bach's powers and desire for change among his members. Perhaps Dai was cast in 2016, when Russian track and field athletes were banned from Russian track and field athletes due to state-sponsored doping.
But Coe can at least look back at this. His candidacy has at least made Coventry talk about the need to help athletes, cut costs in the IOC and do more to protect women's sports. Perhaps one day he'll think it's positive. But for now, this defeat is stabbed.
