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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- With two big votes out of the way, the IOC is preparing for yet another momentous decision: Electing a new president to lead the Olympic body into the next decade. Thomas Bach of Germany goes into Tuesdays International Olympic Committee vote as the strong favourite among the field of six candidates vying for the most powerful job in world sports. Bach, a 59-year-old lawyer and IOC vice-president who heads Germanys national Olympic body, has long been considered the front-runner to succeed Jacques Rogge, the 71-year-old Belgian who is stepping down after 12 years in office. Richard Carrion, a Puerto Rican banking executive who heads the IOCs finance commission, and vice-president Ng Ser Miang of Singapore are viewed as the top challengers. Also on the ballot are executive board members Sergei Bubka of Ukraine and C.K. Wu of Taiwan and former board member Denis Oswald of Switzerland. With Bachs supporters confident of securing a first-round victory, his rivals were privately discussing possible voting alliances to try to stop the German. If Bach is elected, he would continue Europes hold on the presidency. Of the IOCs eight leaders, all have come from Europe except for Avery Brundage, the American who ran the committee from 1952-72. "This is like Im an athlete and Im just in front of a great final," Bach, a former Olympic fencer, said Monday. "You feel you have done all your training, the test events have been going pretty well, so you can go with confidence in the competition. But you have to know that, at the grand final, everybody is on the same starting line." The campaign, which had been relatively civil, took a nasty turn in recent days, with Oswald attacking Bach in a Swiss radio interview, accusing him of using his business connections and links with Kuwait to help his candidacy. Asked if he would pull out of the race, Oswald told RTS Radio: "Certainly not in favour of Thomas Bach. The values are not the same." None of the six candidates have made any dramatic proposals for change, promising to continue the line pursued by Rogge, particularly in the fight against doping. The election comes in the wake of Saturdays IOC decision to award the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo and Sundays vote to reinstate wrestling for the 2020 and 2024 Games. The presidential vote is what most of the 100-plus IOC members have been focusing on. "Its absolutely the most important decision we make -- to find the right person tomorrow," senior Norwegian member Gerhard Heiberg said. As Heiberg spoke, the campaign headed into its final, frantic hours. Candidates lobbied for votes. The lobby, corridors, restaurants and bars of the IOC hotel were swirling with rumours, gossip, speculation and whispers of deals, alliances and voting counts. As with most IOC votes, nothing is ever certain or clear-cut. The election is done by secret balloting, so promises made to candidates are never a sure thing. Much of the pre-election talk among the members has been about the power of one man: Sheik Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti with the long permed hair who heads the Association of National Olympic Committees. The sheik, who has been described as a potential "kingmaker," is a key backer of Bach. With his influence in Asia and among the national Olympic committees, the Kuwaiti can deliver a large number of votes. He was seen as playing a key role in Tokyos victory, even helping Istanbul get to the second round of voting to keep Madrid out of the final. Asked Monday what he hoped for in the presidential election, he said: "A good leadership for the next decade." Some members are uncomfortable with the sheiks power and support of Bach. Sheik Ahmad received a mild reprimand from the IOC for openly voicing his support for Bach in a German television interview five months ago, a violation of the election rules. "He has his opinion, he has clearly stated it, which he should not do, and he has apologized for that," Heiberg said. "Of course he has influence through his position in ANOC. How much that would mean in practice tomorrow, I have no idea. This is a secret ballot." Bach has long been viewed as the man to beat. Hes a former Olympic athlete and gold medallist (team fencing in 1976), long-serving member on the policy-making board, chairman of the legal commission, head of anti-doping investigations and negotiator of European TV rights. But he has been the subject of unflattering reports recently in parts of the German media, including a TV documentary alleging, among other things, that he cheated in the early 1970s during his fencing career by using a wet glove to disrupt the electronic scoring equipment. "There have been lots of rumours in the last few days but Im not following them," Bach said Monday. "I talk with my colleagues and the rest doesnt interest me. It doesnt bother me if people want to create rumours." Carrion, the 60-year-old head of Puerto Ricos Banco Popular, has earned respect as the IOCs money man. He negotiated the record $4.38 billion deal with NBC for U.S. TV rights through 2020 and has overseen the steady growth in the IOCs financial reserves. "I think it is very important that the potential president has a clean sheet and, more importantly, that has independence in terms of decisions that need to be made," Carrion said Monday. Ng, a 64-year-old businessman and diplomat, is a popular member who organized the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010 and represents an Asian continent that is growing in world influence. However, Tokyos victory for 2020 would seem to have dented Ngs chances, making it difficult for the IOC to give Asia two major prizes back to back. "I think Asia has been having a good run, rightly so, with two-thirds of the worlds population, growing influence politically, economically, in sports as well," Ng said. "I think we can look forward to exciting times." With more than 90 members eligible to vote, a simple majority is required for victory. If there is no winner in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes goes out. The system continues for each round until one man secures a majority. The president is elected to an eight-year term, with the possibility of a second four-year mandate. Bachs supporters believe he has enough support to win in the first round. If not, his rivals believe they could chip away at his lead through subsequent rounds. "It is a question of finding the right person who immediately should unite all of us and whether he is chosen in the first ballot or not, it doesnt matter," Heiberg said. "Its up to him to get the unity together." Saucony Shoes Canada Sale .com) - Delon Wright made all 12 of his free throws and finished with 21 points and six assists as No. Saucony Outlet Canada . Winners of two straight, the Flames will try to become the first team in 25 years to go three consecutive games without taking a penalty Saturday night in San Jose. http://www.discountsauconycanada.com/. The Raptors general manager has his list of possible draft selections whittled down to a handful ahead of Thursday nights NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York. The Raptors, who have auditioned dozens of players over the past couple of weeks, have the 20th overall pick in the first round, as well as the 37th and 58th picks in the second. Saucony Shoe Store Canada . Henry, who missed three games with a knee injury, was charged with a handball in the penalty area in the 82nd minute as he went to block a strike from Patrick Mullins. On the ensuing penalty kick, Lee Nguyen picked up his fourth goal of the season, giving the Revolution a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon. Cheap Saucony Shoes Canada .com) - Virginia is for loving Latrell Scott.There was quite a fireworks display at Shaw Park on Monday night. And that was before the official fireworks display. Tyler Kuhn hit a grand slam home run and had seven RBI; Reggie Abercrombie, Josh Mazzola, Casey Haerther and Donnie Webb also hit home runs; and in total, the Winnipeg Goldeyes had 22 hits and scored 23 runs. With an 8-3 win in the opener and an 15-1 shellacking in the night cap, the Goldeyes not only swept a Monday night doubleheader from the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, they swept a four-game series in the process. After taking two on Monday, the Goldeyes have won five straight, are 28-14 on the season and five-and-a-half games ahead of the St. Paul Saints and six games ahead of Fargo in the race for first in the American Associations North Division. In Game 1, Kuhn led the way with his first homer of the year and the Goldeyes first grand slam of the season as Winnipeg scored eight times in their final three at bats to win 8-3. “Im a singles and doubles hitter,” Kuhn said earlier this season. “I dont even step to the plate thinking about hitting home runs.” In almost seven full seasons of professional baseball, the 27-year-old Goldeyes shortstop went into Monday nights first game of the doubleheader with only 17 career round trippers. He had yet to hit a home run this season when he yanked a Kevin Fuqua fastball over the right field fence for a sixth-inning grand slam, as he and the Goldeyes put an exclamation point on the first rout of the evening. Not to be outdone, Goldeyes first baseman Casey Haerther hit a solo shot and went three-for-three with three RBI and a run scored. Starter Matt Jackson (6-2, 2.98 ERA) picked up the win for Winnipeg while Fargos ace, Jake Laber (6-2, 4.10 ERA) suffered the loss for Fargo. In Game 2, there was no doubt from the first inning onward. Winnipeg scored three runs in the first on a Mazzola solo homer and Webbs two-run blast. The Fish proceeded to put up two more in the second; four more in the third; two in the fourth on a triple by Webb and a two-run shot by Abercrombie; and four more in the fifth as Mazzola drove in four runs, Abercrombie and Brock Bond each drove in three and Kuhn and Webb each drove in a pair.dddddddddddd Mazzola had three hits while Haerther, Webb and Abercrombie all had two-hit games. Mazzola was on base four times and scored twice while Webb got on base three times and scored all three times. Abercrombie, Bond and Ryan Pineda each scored twice. Every Goldeyes player reached base at least once. Starter Chandler Barnard (2-0, 2.92 ERA), who kind of got lost in the hitting clinic on Monday night, picked up the win for Winnipeg. Barnard allowed one run on just four hits and recorded his first complete game victory as a Goldeye. Meanwhile, Fargo starter Justin Erasmus, (2-2, 6.75 ERA) who lasted only an inning and a third, suffered the loss. “Ive had a number of complete games under my belt and thats the most fun,” said Barnard, who turned a visit from manager Rick Forney in the top of the second into his best start of the season. “You want to go out there and finish what you start. “When Rick came out he was awesome. He just told me my sinker was really sinking and I shouldnt worry about anything and just throw strikes and get outs. It was confidence-building visit to the mound and Rick was awesome. I made a couple of adjustments and things just came together.” The Goldeyes will open a three-game series with the Kansas City T-Bones on Tuesday afternoon, Canada Day, at 4 p.m. at Shaw Park. Ethan Hollingsworth (1-0, 1.59 ERA) will get the start for Winnipeg, while Andy Noga (0-2, 4.08 ERA) will take to the bump for Kansas City. Tickets for all 2014 Winnipeg Goldeyes games and the 2014 American Association All-Star Game are available through Ticketmaster by clicking on Goldeyes.com, calling 1-855-GOLDEYE or visiting any Ticketmaster location, including the Shaw Park box office. ' ' '