The International Rowing Federation (FISA) leader made the announcement despite telling insidethegames that he would announce his decision following the conclusion of the SportAccord International Convention taking place in St Petersburg next week.

"It is an honour to announce that I will stand as a candidate for the IOC Presidency," Oswald, who is the former chief of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and an IOC member since 1991, said.

The 65-year-old from Switzerland, who won an Olympic rowing bronze medal at Mexico City 1968, claimed his 40 years in the Olympic Movement would enable him to "advance the Olympic cause".

"After competing as a rower in the Games of the 1968, 1972 and 1976, I have been fortunate to serve the Olympic Movement in many ways: notably within the Swiss NOC, as secretary general and then President of FISA, as President of ASOIF and as a member of the IOC – serving on the executive board, various commissions and leading the coordination commission for both the Athens 2004 and London 2012 Olympic Games," he explained.

"More than forty years of service to the Olympic Movement has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the organisation and the Movement as well as its role and significance in the wider world.

"This knowledge and experience, together with the skills for which I have been recognised, will enable me to advance the Olympic cause, and the IOC's authority as the leader of world sport."


Oswald, who is the only candidate with French as his first language, is set to outline his election manifesto at a press briefing in Lausanne on June 3.

His announcement today brings the official number of IOC Presidential candidates to five.

International Boxing Association (AIBA) President C K Wu of Taiwan, IOC Finance Commission chair Richard Carrión of Puerto Rico, and IOC vice-presidents Ng Ser Miang of Singapore and Thomas Bach of Germany are the other contenders hoping to succeed incumbent Jacques Rogge of Belgium

Ukraine's International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) vice-president Sergey Bubka is also expected to announce he is standing in the coming days.

IOC members will elect a new President at their Session in Buenos Aires on September 10 when Rogge steps down after 12 years in office.

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