Seb Coe is bidding to become the most powerful figure in sport today as he runs to succeed Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Committee. The IOC president holds dominion over the Olympic movement and acts as dealmaker and diplomat handling world leaders desperate for the dose of soft power that comes with hosting an Olympic Games.

Great Britain’s Lord Coe is among three favourites for the leadership of the Olympic movement, but he faces stiff competition in what many experts are saying could be one of the tightest votes in the IOC’s 131-year history.

President Thomas Bach, who has been more lenient with Russia, likely prefers another candidate to Coe heading toward the Los Angeles games in 2028