IOC President Jacques Rogge's replacement "will be voted on three days after the 2020 Olympic host site is determined" on Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires. Until then, "however, Rogge will lead [the IOC]. His influence could be essential in the selection of the winning city." According to statutes, the IOC can have a maximum of 115 members. Rogge "chooses the members of the last two groups [of 15 apiece] in addition to three wild cards (invitations) among the 15 athletes with a right to vote." Rogge, who will not vote, "could have an influence on more than 20% of the voting IOC members in Buenos Aires" (AS, 8/18). ... Olympic Council of Asia President and IOC member Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sabah "snubbed media reports that he is a supporter for Germany's Thomas Bach in the IOC presidential race" (XINHUA, 8/18). ... Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes "has called on Brazil's federal government to disband a public body created to oversee planning for the 2016 Olympics." Paes said on Saturday that the Olympic Public Authority "had become redundant, just days after the resignation of the organization's president Marcio Fortes" (XINHUA, 8/17).
