He rarely speaks publicly. He only expresses himself in press releases published by the IOC, either to congratulate the awarding of the Low Carbon prize, or to welcome the new recruits, as was the case in May, for the arrival of Pierre DucreyOr in September, when the organization announced that Jan Paterson, James Pearce, and Julien Baehni were joining the teams. Christophe De Kepper remains a key figure in the Olympic landscape. He was the one at the forefront in March to announce the results of the IOC presidential election and Kirsty Coventry's victory in the first round.
Chief of staff to the IOC president from 2001 to 2013, he has been the IOC's director general since 2011. He was at the forefront of welcoming the FIVB president, Fabio Azevedo, and the IFSC president, Marco Scolaris, to Lausanne in recent months. He was also alongside the IOC president when she met with Gianni Infantino. He manages institutional meetings, such as the Session and the Executive Board. In this capacity, he has overseen and implemented major strategic decisions and reform programs for the IOC, such as Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5. He also contributed to the successful delivery of the Olympic Games from Salt Lake City 2002 to Paris 2024 and has been involved in all Olympic Games selection processes. " the IOC points out on its website.
He also oversaw the construction of the new IOC headquarters in Lausanne, inaugurated in 2019. A man of few words, he is committed to ensuring that the Olympic Movement remains in the spotlight. Christophe De Kepper was once cited as the top candidate by the jury and once as the second-place candidate. This allows him to take third place in our ranking, just one point ahead of Christophe Dubi.
"The Francophonie is of strategic importance."
« I would like to express my sincere gratitude Francs Jeux for this distinction, which I was particularly happy to learn about at the end of this year, so rich in events and emotions. 2025 will have been a pivotal year for the IOC " he confided, quoting the election HISTORY "From Kirsty Coventry to Costa Navarino, the awarding of the 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games to Dolomiti Valtellina, the celebrations of the 365 days until Dakar 2026, the lighting of the Olympic flame for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games at the end of November, the Olympism365 Summit and the launch of the process “Fit for the Future” to shape the future of the Olympic Movement.
A fortnight after her historic election, the IOC's President-elect, Kirsty Coventry, was warmly welcomed by IOC President Thomas Bach, IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper and IOC staff at Olympic House in Lausanne earlier today.
- IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) April 7, 2025
Read what she said: https://t.co/TDTfP2Bgbw pic.twitter.com/5Fay9PGLSQ
« In this context, the French-speaking world is of strategic importance. It occupies a vital place within the Olympic Movement, since, in accordance with the Olympic Charter, French is one of the two official languages of the IOC, alongside English., recalls Christophe De Kepper. Beyond its symbolic value, this reality is profoundly structuring: language conditions access to information, the quality of dialogue, and the ownership of our decisions. The role of French in our work, particularly through interpretation services and the availability of texts, is a concrete guarantee of participation and clarity for all our stakeholders. It also contributes, through the vitality and global reach of the Francophonie across several continents, to strengthening the universality of the Olympic Movement. »
« The steps ahead confirm this dynamic: Dakar 2026, the first Olympic sporting event organized on the African continent, will fully embody this ambition focused on youth, inclusion and the future. " continued the IOC's director general, before concluding by returning to his third place: « This recognition touches me deeply; it reflects above all the work of committed and dedicated teams, who work every day to strengthen the foundations and the future of the Olympic Movement. I am finally taking this opportunity to thank Francs Jeux thanks for the constant attention given to the coverage of the Olympic Movement, and to extend to you and your readers my best wishes for a very successful and happy 2026. »
The ranking (3-20)
3. Christophe De Kepper (34 points)
4. Christophe Dubi (33 points)
5. Mustapha Berraf (32 points)
6. Victor Wembanyama (31 points)
7. Tony Estanguet (25 points)
8. Thomas Bach (22 points)
8. Nawal El Moutawakel (22 points)
10. Kylian Mbappé (21 points)
11. Valérie Fourneyron (17 points)
12. Michel Vion (17 points)
13. Ingmar de Vos (15 points)
14. Jean-Christophe Rolland (12 points)
14. Ibrahima Wade (12 points)
16. Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye (11 points)
16. Diamil Faye (11 points)
18. Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (10 points)
19. Fouzi Lekjaa (5 points)
19. Edgar Grospiron (5 points)
Jury composition: Alain Mercier, founder of the media Francs Jeux in 2013; Benjamin Carlier, associate director of Olbia Conseil; Jérémy Botton, president of the SSM group; Sophie Lorant, president of France Sport Expertise; Sylvie Le Maux, vice-president of the CNOSF in charge of eSports; Rachel Pretti, senior reporter at L'Équipe; Quentin Ballue, editor-in-chief of Francs Jeux since January 2025.
