Coe was first elected to succeed Lamine Diack as head of the International Association of Athletics Federations, as the governing body was then known, in 2015 when he beat Bubka by 115 votes to 92 in Beijing.

Britain's double Olympic 1500 metres gold medallist was re-elected for a second term unopposed in 2019 when Bubka was also returned as senior vice-president, a position Coe had appointed him four years earlier.

Bubka, the 1988 Olympic pole vault gold medallist and a six-time world champion, had also served as vice-president under Diack between 2007 and 2011 and has been a member of the governing body’s ruling Council since 2001.

Bubka’s decision not to stand again at the World Athletics Congress follows criticism of him in Ukraine for his failure to condemn Russia’s invasion of the country in February 2022.

Last October, Bubka, a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, stood down as President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine after 17 years in charge.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Bubka was involved in a deal to supply petrol in Ukrainian areas occupied by the Russians.

There are eight candidates standing for the four positions of vice-president at the election being held at the Hungexpo Congress Centre two days before the World Athletics Championships are due to start in the Hungarian capital. 

Whoever is appointed as the new senior vice-president would be the most likely to succeed Coe as head of World Athletics if he decides to stand for President of the International Olympic Committee in 2025 and is elected to succeed Thomas Bach.

There are eight candidates for the four positions, with the remaining three vice-presidents, Saudi Arabia’s Nawaf Bin Mohammed AL Saud, the Norfolk Islands' Geoff Gardner and Colombia's Olympic 400 metres bronze medallist Ximena Restrepo, all standing for re-election.

Spain’s Raúl Chapado, Canada’s Abby Hoffman, Finland’s Antti Pihlakoski, India’s Adille Sumariwalla and Kenya’s Jackson Tuwei are the other five candidates.

At least one of the candidates elected must be female, which means Restrepo, having been voted as World Athletics' first female vice-president at the election four years ago, or Hoffman, the 1966 Commonwealth Games 880 yards champion, will take one of the spots.

Coe and those standing for vice-president addressed the Congress earlier today during the candidates' forum.

There are 27 candidates for the positions on the World Athletics Council, following the withdrawal of Cuba’s 1976 Olympic 400m and 800m gold medallist Alberto Juantorena due to ill health.

Among the prominent names on the candidates list are Morocco’s Nawal El Moutawakel, the first Arab woman to claim Olympic gold medal when she won the 400m hurdles at Los Angeles 1984 and who is now a senior IOC member.

Another Olympic gold medallist standing is Ukraine’s Nataliya Dobrynska, winner of the heptathlon at Beijing 2008.

Other notable candidates include the United States' former world record holder for the triple jump Willie Banks, Japan’s Olympic marathon silver and bronze medallist Yuko Arimori and the 2010 Commonwealth Games 200m champion Cydonie Mothersille from the Cayman Islands.

El Moutawakel and Banks were elected to the World Athletics Council in Doha four years ago.

In addition to these 18 positions up for election tomorrow, there will be six Area Presidents who have already been or are in the progress of being elected, and two members of the Athletes' Commission - one female and one male - due be selected in October, making a total of 26 World Athletics Council Members.

This election cycle is a key milestone in World Athletics’ gender equity targets, which aims to have an equal balance of male and female Council Members by 2027.

In these 2023 elections, 40 per cent of Council - or a minimum of 10 Council Members - will be represented by females.

In order to achieve these goals, gender leadership workshops and educational opportunities have been planned to create clear pathways for female athletes, administrators, officials and coaches to seek out and apply for opportunities at local, area and international federation level boards, commissions and committees.