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.

The race for the most powerful job in world sport entered its final stretch on Thursday as International Olympic Committee members began casting their ballots at a luxury seaside resort in Greece’s southwestern Peloponnese.

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