Social networks have taken a considerable place in our societies. Digital Report We Are Social had 5,04 billion users in January 2024, or 62,3% of the world's population. On average, each person spends 2 hours and 23 minutes per day on these platforms. It's impossible to miss out on this in an increasingly connected world. However, this playing field is generally not very invested by the candidates for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee, who will be decided on March 20 in Greece.
Coe, Lappartient and Eliasch take the turn
This campaign is the first to truly take place in the era of all-powerful networks. Thomas Bach had indeed been extended for four years in 2021, and the previous election took place in 2013, a time when networks did not yet have the current resonance. Sebastian Coe and David Lappartient have chosen to rely heavily on these tools. No surprise since the Briton is on the podium of the most followed presidents of international federations on X, formerly known as Twitter. Since February 1, the president of World Athletics has published or shared 32 contents there, highlighting his exchanges with media around the world, but also his proximity to athletes, his vision on the place of transgender athletes or his visit to China for the Asian Winter Games. His voice carries since he has 121.350 followers. He has also been very visible on the professional network LinkedIn and on Instagram.
David Lappartient has done almost as well with 24 publications or reposts since the beginning of the month on X. Followed by 9.000 people, the Frenchman has documented his trips to Panama, Thailand and Egypt for the congresses of the Pan-American, Asian and African Cycling Confederations, his visit to Harbin for the Asian Winter Games, his visit to Rwanda, future host of the World Road Cycling Championships, or his involvement in the launch of the OCOG of the French Alps 2030. Content that he has also shared on Facebook, the network with some three billion users. The goal: to show his interest in all territories. Johan Eliasch, for his part, resurrected his X account in mid-January when he had not used it since 2021. He has multiplied his posts there, as on LinkedIn, on winter sports and the climate challenge – one of his strong points since he co-founded the NGO Cool Earth – with Arnold Schwarzenegger as guest star.
See you in Frankfurt
Morinari Watanabe, Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, Kirsty Coventry and Prince Feisal are, however, totally absent from these platforms. Paradoxical, given that the digital revolution is one of the major challenges facing Thomas Bach's successor. In most elections that go beyond the regional context, not using social networks is now like shooting yourself in the foot. The specificities of the Olympic framework nevertheless give every chance to the four candidates who have decided to leave them aside. They must in fact convince a very small number of voters (around 90). Social networks are essential for reaching the general public, but much less so for speaking to such a specific electorate.
The seven candidates were able to present their project to the IOC members in Lausanne, on January 31, during a very supervised exercise. Now, all of them are going to the field to multiply the more or less formal exchanges, meet local sports actors and the media, convince and spread their ideas for the future of the Olympic movement. They will all be in Frankfurt this weekend to attend the general assembly of the European Olympic Committees (February 28 and March 1) – including Morinari Watanabe, who changed his schedule at the last minute to be able to attend. "They will not be allowed to speak, in accordance with IOC rules, but they want to be there and we are happy to be able to present to them the development of sport in Europe, the development of the EOC and our plans going forward, explains Spyros Capralos, president of the EOC. It's good that they're here, that they can hear what we have to say about our work."An unmissable event in the final stretch of this campaign since around thirty voters will be European, or more than a third of the electoral college.
