In a move that could apparently hinder Sebastian Coe‘s expected bid for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the body has clarified its complex election rules ahead of this Sunday’s deadline to enter the race. In a letter sent by the IOC ethics commission to all 111 members, including Coe, it specified reasons why the 67-year-old World Athletics president might not compete to become IOC president.

The text, dated Monday, specifies that the winning candidate must be a member of the IOC on the day of the election, scheduled for March in Greece, “and for the duration of his or her term of office.” This would imply that Coe, whose status as an IOC member depends on his position in World Athletics, would have to leave that position three years after he is hypothetically elected – in 2027 – at the end of the maximum 12 years allowed in his current position.

This clarification has created uncertainty about his eligibility. Coe, who has chaired World Athletics for nine years and was leader of the London 2012 Olympic Games organizing committee, is considered one of the most qualified candidates to lead the IOC. However, his term at World Athletics ends in 2027, just three years after the start of a possible term as IOC president, which would complicate the candidacy of the double Olympic champion in the 1,500 meters and former legislator in the United Kingdom.

SAMARANCH JR, ALSO IN TROUBLE

In addition to Coe, another expected candidate, Spain’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, current IOC vice-president, could also face problems due to age restrictions. Samaranch turns 65 in November, and Olympic Charter rules set an age limit of 70 for members, with a possible extension of only four years. If approved, his term would also end before completing a full cycle as IOC president, which would run from 2025 to 2033.

IOC ethics commission chairman Ban Ki-moon said in the letter, “The charter makes no exceptions for the president, who is a member of the IOC under the same conditions as other members.”