Kim breaks silence over IOC election<\/p>\n
PARIS (AFP): South Korea's influential International Olympic
\nCommittee (IOC) member Kim Un-yong has confirmed to IOC members
\nthat he will join the election battle to succeed outgoing
\npresident Juan Antonio Samaranch.<\/p>\n
The 70-year-old Kim, a powerful behind-the-scenes powerbroker
\nwithin the IOC, is expected to publicly declare his election bid
\nin early April, but he has already written to IOC members
\nannouncing his bid.<\/p>\n
In a letter to members, a copy of which has been seen by AFP,
\nKim writes: "I ask for your support to serve you and to work
\nclosely with you as your next president."<\/p>\n
Kim's decision to try and win the most powerful job in sport
\ncomes only days before Belgium's IOC executive committee member
\nJacques Rogge is to announce his candidature.<\/p>\n
Rogge, who is being touted as favorite for the July 16
\nelection in Moscow, will launch his campaign at a press
\nconference in Brussels on Monday.<\/p>\n
America's Anita DeFrantz, the most senior woman in the IOC,
\nand Hungarian diplomat Pal Schmitt confirmed their decision to go
\nfor the IOC's top spot earlier in the year but observers are
\nforecasting the battle will be a five-way struggle.<\/p>\n
IOC marketing guru Dick Pound is expected to join the fray
\nbefore the April 10 deadline for candidates.<\/p>\n
According to press reports the Canadian has built up a
\nsubstantial campaign war chest but friends of the former Olympic
\nswimmer say he will not make a final decision until after Rogge
\nand Kim publicly declare.<\/p>\n
Rogge and Pound have been widely tipped within the IOC as the
\nfront runners but Kim's arrival will ensure the election will be
\nthe most hotly contested presidential battle in Olympic history.<\/p>\n
Kim received a severe warning in the wake of the internal IOC
\ninquiry into the Salt Lake City scandal that saw six members
\nexpelled and four others forced to resign.<\/p>\n
Ironically the probe in the scandal that nearly brought the
\nIOC to its knees was headed by Pound.<\/p>\n
Kim's son John Kim was indicted by US authorities in
\nconnection with the bribery scandal but Kim has always denied any
\nwrongdoing.<\/p>\n
Despite the severe warning delivered on him, Kim's power
\nwithin the IOC has not been weakened according to senior IOC
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
Suggestions that Kim might face trouble from US Justice
\nofficials investigating the scandal have proved unfounded. Kim
\nhas been to the United States several times over the past 12
\nmonths and was a member of the South Korean delegation to George
\nW. Bush's inauguration in Washington in January.<\/p>\n
Both 58-year-old Rogge, president of the European Olympic
\nCommittees, and Kim, president of the president of the General
\nAssociation of International Sports Federations (GAISF), also
\nhave powerful power-bases to call on.<\/p>\n
The 58-year-old Pound has no obvious member-base to rely on
\nbut is the only one of the five candidates to have tasted the
\npower of being IOC president.<\/p>\n
When Samaranch, who has been in charge for 21 years, had to
\nleave the Sydney Games for his wife's funeral Pound, as the then
\nsenior vice president stood in for him.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kim-breaks-silence-over-ioc-election-1447893297",
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