Who will succeed Hansjörg Wirz at the head of European athletics? The race has not yet officially started. But there are already at least three more or less openly applying for the presidency of the European Athletics Association, now called European Athletics, whose election is due to take place in April 2015. A three-way match which could take over appearance of a Franco-Scandinavian battle, between the Frenchman Jean Gracia, the Finnish Antti Pihlakoski and the Norwegian Svein-Arne Hansen.
Jean Gracia left first. He is announced as the favorite. Former director general of the French Athletics Federation, he took advantage of the outdoor World Championships in Moscow in 2013 to survey the community and make his intentions known. Then, his decision made, he began a long tour of the European federations. He was at 28 out of 50 at the beginning of last July, when he explained to FrancsJeux that he was now a candidate without doubts or reservations. Current vice-president of the AEA, Jean Gracia would have secured the support of Germany, Italy, Spain and the Balkan countries. He should also be able to count on British votes, France having a priori chosen Sebastian Coe in the race for the presidency of the IAAF. An exchange of good practices, therefore.
Antti Pihlakoski, the Finn, has just declared himself. According to the Finnish Athletics Federation, he agreed to respond favorably to the request of his own camp, and "several other national federations", to enter the race. Former secretary general then president of the Finnish Federation, he was the boss of the organizing committee for the Outdoor Worlds in 2005 and the European Championships in 2012, two events which took place at the Olympic stadium in Helsinki. Antti Pihlakoski knows the AEA well having served on its Council since 2007.
The third man is not yet officially in the race, but it is rumored in the stadium corridors that he is preparing his announcement. Svein-Arne Hansen, the current president of the Norwegian Athletics Federation, is also expected to apply. Director of the Bislett Games, the legendary Oslo meeting, included in the Diamond League calendar, he can also boast of a rich past and a solid network in European athletics. But, unlike his two alleged rivals, he does not sit on the AEA Council.
Who will win? Difficult to say six months before the vote. But it is likely that the campaign for the succession of Lamine Diack at the head of the IAAF, a priori limited to a duel between Sebastian Coe and Sergei Bubka, two European candidates, could play a big role in the outcome of the election. The only certainty: the winner should take a lease. Since its creation in 1969, the European Athletics Association has had only four presidents: the Dutchman Adriaan Paulen between 1969 and 1976, the British Arthur Gold between 1977 and 1987, the Finnish Carl-Olaf Homen between 1987 and 1999, the Swiss Hansjörg Wirz since 1999.
