Nominations must be formally submitted 90 days before the vote due to take place at a General Assembly scheduled for April 26 in Montevideo.

The final deadline was on Wednesday (January 25).

All five letters have since been circulated to the 41 National Olympic Committees which make up PASO confirming the five applications. 

Joseph is St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee general secretary and currently sits on the PASO Executive Committee as third vice-president.

Ilic, at 54 the youngest contender, is President of the Chilean Olympic Committee.

International Olympic Committee honorary member Nuzman heads the Brazilian Olympic Committee and also served as President of the Organising Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Peterkin is a serving IOC member and the current treasurer of the Association of National Olympic Committees. 

Puello spent 22 years as Dominican National Olympic Committee President until 2004 and also played a key role in organising the 2003 Pan American Games in Santa Domingo.

All five were nominated by their respective NOCs.

Peterkin, however, has announced his intention to pull-out of the race in order to support one of the other candidates and claims he only applied as a fail-safe measure.

In a letter distributed to all members of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) earlier this month, Peterkin wrote that he was applying as a precaution to ensure that, if other candidates drop out or circumstances change, he will still be able to run.

He added In all probability he will withdraw from the contest and support one of the two other Caribbean contenders, Puello or Joseph.

The quintet are bidding to replace Uruguay's Julio Maglione, elected following the death of longtime Mexican leader Mario Vázquez Raña in February 2015.

"I am pleased to inform you that yesterday, January 25, the deadline to receive nominations for the position of PASO President expired," an email sent by the body's secretary general Jimena Saldaña to each NOC explained.

"The election will be carried out on April 26, 2017.

"As provided by Article 15 of our Constitution, please be informed that all nomination letters for the position of President received from our National Olympic Committees members of PASO fulfill the established requirements."

The letters for Ilic, Puello and Peterkin are all short and simply outline who is applying.

Joseph's also reveals that he plans to run again for one of the vice-president positions if he is unsuccessful for the top job. 

Nuzman's letter, the last to be submitted of the five, is two pages long and outlines in detail his long experience in the sports world.

A 90-day campaigning period has now begun which will take place amid stringent rules restricting the campaigning process.

The regulations restrict publicity and trips associated with bids for any elected Executive Committee position.

They also outlawed the exchange of gifts and promises, as well as deals between contenders for different positions.

It remains to be seen how strictly these will be enforced.

Applicants for all other PASO Executive Committee positions have until February 24, 60 days before the election, to apply. 

The five application letters can be read here