German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) today published an interview with Rogge in which he said: "Of course everyone expects him to run [for the Presidency]."

Bach is considered to be the front-runner to replace Rogge, who became IOC President in 2001 and was elected for a second and final term of four years in 2009.

The election is due to take place at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires in 2013 but Bach, the 1976 Olympic fencing champion, is refusing to confirm that he plans to stand.

The 56-year-old lawyer told German newsagency DPA that it was an honour both for him and the German sport "to be considered qualified for the assignment."

Bach, the founding President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), said that when he was re-elected as IOC vice-president in 2006, he pledged to support Rogge,

He told DPA: "That prohibits any speculation."

Other names mentioned as possible candidates include Switzerland's Denis Oswald, the chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for London 2012, Morocco's Nawal El Moutawakel, the former Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion who is now head of the Coordination Commission for Rio 2016, and Puerto Rico's Richard Carrion, the influential chairman of the IOC's Finance Commission.

Rogge told the FAZ that a successful bid of Munich for the 2018 Winter Olympics would not undermine Bach’s possible candidature.

The 2018 host city is due to be elected at the IOC Session in Durban on July 6, 2011.

Rogge said: "These are two completely different things."

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