IOC insiders that BBC Sport spoke to on the luxurious resort of Costa Navarino in Greece, the place Thursday’s vote came about, all stated that Coventry was the popular candidate of outgoing president Thomas Bach.
The German denied solutions that he had been instantly lobbying on her behalf, and insisted that the method had been truthful.
On Friday, he stated he was “very a lot relieved” to see the results of the vote, calling it “an indication of the IOC as a world organisation with the best good governance requirements”.
Regardless of the actuality, Coventry’s success has been broadly portrayed as a win for continuity and patronage on the IOC, and for her long-time mentor Bach, and proof of his affect over an organisation he has dominated since 2013, and with its membership – most of which he has appointed.
The end result may even intensify scrutiny of the IOC’s secretive and extremely restrictive election course of.
The unique organisation – made up of royals, heads of state, former athletes and figures from enterprise and politics – appears proof against the change that candidates like Coe stood for.
The double Olympic champion was the reform candidate, however his pledge to shake up the IOC clearly didn’t enchantment to many.
At World Athletics, Coe had taken a harder stance than the IOC on Russian doping and gender eligibility, and launched the concept of money for gold medals at Paris 2024, a transfer that antagonised Bach.
The principles require the IOC hierarchy to stay impartial in any presidential election.
Coe was magnanimous within the rapid aftermath of defeat, however it was telling maybe that once I requested him if it had been a good struggle, he merely answered, “Oh, it is an election.”
