El Moutawakel's and Werthein's respective mandates will begin on 10 August, at the end of the 142nd Session, when the terms of Australian John Coates (appointed as an honorary member, a privilege also enjoyed by Turkiye's Ugur Erdener, whose membership was due to end on 31 December this year) and Singapore's Ser Miang Ng expire.

The former president of the Argentine Olympic Committee was elected as the new IOC vice-president. Werthein received 78 votes in favour and only 11 against to take up a crucial position in the body that decides the fate of the Olympic world. This victory will open a new chapter in his career, as it will be added to his current position as Argentina's ambassador to the USA.

The significance of this appointment is directly related to the hypothetical change of leadership that lies ahead. In March 2025, current President Thomas Bach is due to step down and elections will be held at the IOC. Werthein will play a crucial role in the transition to the new leader, as he will take up one of the two available vice-presidencies.

In addition to his standing as Argentina's US ambassador, Werthein will have a unique opportunity to closely follow the progress of preparations for the Summer Olympic to Los Angeles 2028,. His track record at the IOC, which began in 2011, is remarkable, having chaired the Digital and Technology Commission and been one of the IOC's 10 executive members. His promotion to vice-president serves as recognition of his dedication and experience.

"It is a source of pride, it has to do with the mission of building a better world through sport and promoting peace," he told Radio Mitre. Argentina's ambassador to the US confirmed that his appointment would not affect his role as a diplomatic representative. "It has to do with everything I have done in my life in relation to sport," he said.

He excelled as head of the Digital and Technology Commission during his time at the IOC. The Argentine, who was one of the 10 executive members of that body along with five other members, including four vice-presidents and the IOC president, has now been elected to one of the two vice-presidencies available.

The other went to former Moroccan Olympic champion Nawal El Moutawakel, who previously held the position from 2012 to 2016 and has served two terms on the IOC Executive Board, from 2008 to 2012 and 2020 to 2023.

She made history as the first Moroccan and Arab woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Her success on the track paved the way for her to become a leading figure in international sports administration.

Her contributions to sport have been significant, including serving on various Olympic committees and promoting women's participation in athletics on a global scale.

In a statement to the Moroccan press, El Moutawakel, who previously served as Morocco's Minister of Youth and Sports, said: "I am proud to be re-elected as IOC Vice-President. It is a proud moment for Morocco and for all the athletes of my country."

In addition to these two top positions, the International Olympic Committee also elected two Executive Board members and eight Committee members, including four women.

Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski of the Philippines was also re-elected to the IOC Executive Board for a second term, while China's Li Lingwei was elected to the Executive Board. The term of office for Executive Board members is four years.

Eight new IOC members - four women and four men - were elected and sworn in during Wednesday's sessions. The eight new IOC members are Aya Medany (Egypt), Sarah Walker (New Zealand), Paula Belen Pareto (Argentina), Hugh Robertson (Great Britain), who were elected as independents.

Damaris Young (President of the Panama Olympic Committee), Gene Sykes (President of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee), Ian Chesterman (President of the Australian Olympic Committee) and one member linked to his role within an International Federation, Johan Eliasch (Great Britain), as President of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

Six of the members' terms will start immediately, while one will start at the end of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, such as Walker, who will continue to be associated with the IOC as an athlete, and another, Ian Chesterman, on 1 January 2025.

The IOC also underlined its commitment to promoting gender equality within its leadership, revealing that women now make up 42.3 per cent of its membership, with 47 out of 111 members.

The Session also extended the term of Mustapha Berraf (Algeria, membership linked to his role as President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, ANOCA, elected in 2019, whose age limit of 70 will be reached at the end of 2024) by four years, from 1 January 2025 to the end of 2028.

Fifteen IOC members who reached the end of their eight-year term after being elected or re-elected in 2016 were re-elected by the IOC Session for a further eight years, taking into account the age limit at the end of the term (80 years for those elected before December 1999 and 70 years for those elected after that date). The head of this group was the current IOC president, Thomas Bach of Germany, who had been a member of the IOC since 1991 and took office 22 years later.

Paris 2024 Olympics Games could be the last to be held under Thomas Bach's presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The German lawyer's term ends in 2025, but it would not be surprising if the rules were exceptionally changed to allow him to stay on.

The IOC meeting in Paris took no decision on the matter, with the body's own ethics commission recommending that the issue be addressed after the Olympics. Amina Mohamed was re-elected to the IOC Ethics Commission as an independent member for a four-year term.

However, more and more voices are calling for Bach to continue as president. The most recent is that of Alejandro Blanco, who, although not a member of the IOC, as president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), influences the position of the European national committees, one of the main forces of the Olympic movement.

"Sport is going through a very complicated situation. The international federations no longer have the preponderance they used to have. The base of the sport movement is the IOC, and it has a recognised leader in both sport and politics," Blanco told the EFE news agency.

"Both at the United Nations and at the G20, Thomas Bach's voice is heard. In my opinion, Bach must continue to strengthen and consolidate the Olympic Movement in these difficult times."