An 85-year-old known as 'Presidentissimo' is the key candidate in Italian sports election

ROME — An 85-year-old former IOC member could be the decisive candidate in a contentious election for the presidency of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI), which will have a major role in helping organize next winter's Milan-Cortina Games.

Franco Carraro is seen as a peacemaker between leading candidates Luciano Buonfiglio and Luca Pancalli in Thursday's vote.

Outgoing CONI president Giovanni Malagò supports Buonfiglio, the president of the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation, while Sports Minister Andrea Abodi supports Pancalli, the president of the Italian Paralaympics Committee.

With both Buonfiglio and Pancalli maintaining that they have the necessary 41 votes to be elected with an outright majority in the first round, the election could come down to more rounds of voting when Carraro might swing his supporters one way or another.

Carraro was nominated as a neutral option but needed special approval since he already served three terms as CONI president from 1978-1987. The electoral commission admitted him, though, apparently because he served before new rules were instituted limiting presidents to a maximum of three terms.

Carraro was an International Olympic Committee member from 1982 to 2019, when his membership expired due to age limits. In 2020 he became an honorary member.

Carraro's career spans 7 decades

Known as the ''Presidentissimo,'' Carraro has also led the Italian soccer federation on multiple occasions, was Rome's mayor and served as an Italian senator, among many other duties in a sports administration career spanning seven decades — since he became president of the Italian Waterski Federation in 1962.

''Time passes for everything,'' Abodi said when Carraro was nominated.

Still, the race is expected to come down to the 74-year-old Buonfiglio, who was a canoe athlete at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and has led Italy's canoe and kayak federation since 2005; and the 61-year-old Pancalli, who has led Italy's Paralaympics committee for a quarter century.

Paolo Barelli and Angelo Binaghi, the influential presidents of the Italian swimming and tennis federations, respectively, and longtime enemies of Malagò, both support Pancalli.

Malagò remains Milan-Cortina president

Malagò, who is leaving the presidency after 12 years and three terms, unsuccessfully lobbied for a special extension to remain in charge through the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February and Paralympics in March.

Malagò is also the president of the Milan-Cortina organizing committee and is expected to remain in that position. He's also an IOC member.

No women among 8 candidates

There are 80 potential voters, so 41 votes are needed to win in the first round.

In the second and third rounds, a majority of votes among those present at the election are required, while from the fourth round, whoever gets the most votes wins.

Besides Carraro, Buonfiglio and Pancalli, there are five other candidates who are not expected to garner much support. None of the candidates are women.

Soccer and sailing events

CONI oversees all sports in Italy, which has a series of major events coming up:

The America's Cup sailing competition will be held of Naples in 2027, the next Winter Youth Olympics will be held in northern Italy in 2028, and soccer's European Championship will be co-hosted by Italy and Turkey in 2032.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games