Luciano Rossi, a longstanding vice-president of the body from Italy, is being given this special treatment after revealing that earlier this month he received an email "alleging that ISSF officials are plotting to kill me and/or to kidnap my youngest daughter" if he did not pull out of the election.

This prompted the International Olympic Committee to enquire whether all appropriate measures have been taken to guarantee the safety of the meeting where the vote will take place.

The ISSF, for its part, confirmed that the issue was reported to both its Executive Committee and to the German Police on November 17.

Rossi is running against Vladimir Lisin from Russia for the right to succeed Olegario Vázquez Raña, the Mexican who has been ISSF President for 38 years.

Lisin reacted to disclosure of the alleged threat against Rossi by circulating his own statement speculating that someone was aiming to disrupt the election.

"I hope that the respective bodies will find out who is the real perpetrator and who consequently is organising the dirty games," the statement said.

In spite of these dramatic and potentially disturbing developments, the eve-of-vote atmosphere today at the General Assembly hotel in one of Munich’s leafier corners was relatively relaxed, with Rossi campaigning in a colourful neckerchief with a shotgun cartridge motif.

More than 220 delegates are expected to take part in the meeting, which will result in the installation of a whole new leadership group at the federation.

Numerous positions, including the secretary general’s post, four vice-presidencies, and memberships of the Administrative Council are to be decided.