Sawt Falasteen - French Olympic boss rules out new term after failed IOC bid

Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and the first African to be elected IOC president on Thursday after receiving 97 votes in the first round of voting in Greece, with Lappartient, one of seven candidates, achieving just four.

In a letter to French sports federations and the CNOSF, Lappartient, the president of the International Cycling Union (UCI) since 2017, announced he would not be a candidate for the renewal of his mandate in June.

"I wish to respect the commitment I made to you to commit to a two-year term, taking into account my other mandates," explained Lappartient, who also heads the Morbihan district of Brittany in western France.

"While the accumulation of these commitments has been possible over these two years at the cost of a very substantial personal investment, I do not believe that it is desirable, apart from the exceptional circumstances of the last two years, for the president of the CNOSF not to be even more focused on his mission at your service," said Lappartient.

The 51-year-old took the reins of the CNOSF a year before the 2024 Paris Olympics amid infighting between various groups.

The centre-right lawmaker won praise for using his political nous and powers of persuasion to secure the 2030 Winter Olympics for the French Alps.

U.AlSharif--SF-PST