There is no doubt about it: Mikhail Degtyarev, 43, the current Minister of Sports, will indeed be the next president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Barring an unlikely scenario, he will be elected on December 13 at the body's general assembly, having obtained the support and green light from Vladimir Putin. Russian media confirm that the current president of the ROC, former fencer Stanislav Pozdnyakov, will leave his post as announced on November 13. His departure will not be the only one: the secretary general, Rodion Plitukhin, is also announced to be leaving on the same date, as is the director general of the ROC, Vladimir Sengleev. Mikhail Degtyarev has assured this several times in recent weeks: one of his priorities will be to renew dialogue with the IOC, after the elections to succeed Thomas Bach at the March 2025 session.
