We are about one week week away from the election of a new president for the International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG). The current president, Bruno Grandi, has served for 18 years and has been a catalyst for monumental changes in the sport, such as the open-ended scoring system.

The new president will be elected at the 81st Congress of the FIG, which is taking place in Tokyo from October 18-20. The two candidates in the running to succeed Grandi are Georges Guelzec, current president of the European Gymnastics Union, and Morinari Watanabe, current secretary general of the Japan Gymnastics Association.

Each federation will have one vote in the presidential election.

Release via FIG

The 81st Congress of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), which will be held October 18-20 in Tokyo, marks a turning point in the history of the federation. Delegates representing some 125 member federations in the Japanese capital have been called on to choose the successor to President Bruno Grandi.

The Italian, who will complete his fifth and final mandate at the end of 2016, has been the architect of several large reforms which have helped Gymnastics grow in credibility and universality, to the point of becoming one of the three principal sports on the Olympic programme.  

Two candidates stand to succeed him: Georges Guelzec, currently President of the European Union of Gymnastics and Vice President of the French Gymnastics Federation, and Morinari Watanabe, currently Secretary General of the Japan Gymnastics Association. For this ballot, every federation shall have one vote.

This highly anticipated moment will open the second day of the Congress, at the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba Hotel. In the wake of the Presidential election, members of the different organs that will guide the FIG during the 2017-2020 Olympic cycle will also be elected, including three Vice Presidents, the Executive Committee, the FIG Council, the Technical Committees in Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline Gymnastics, Acrobatic Gymnastics and Aerobic Gymnastics, as well as the Gymnastics for All Committee.

While International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is due to speak before the assembly, the delegates themselves must decide on a proposed revision of the statutes aimed at bringing the federation closer in line with the objectives of the Olympic Agenda 2020, especially requirements regarding good governance and the prevention of conflicts of interest.

Among other business on the assembly's agenda is the approval of the accounts for the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years, as well as the quadrennial budget for the new Olympic cycle. Six new federations will also be welcomed to the FIG family during the congress, bringing the total number to 148 in all.

But beyond the strict framework of formal meetings, Tokyo offers delegates a unique opportunity: a first look at what the Japanese capital has in store for the 2020 Summer Olympics.


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Two Candidates Stand for FIG Presidency