Emmanuelle Bonnet Oulaldj, Brigitte Henriques, Patrice Martin and Thierry Rey are all standing to replace Denis Masseglia, who has been CNOSF President since 2009.

The winner of the election will occupy one of the highest positions in French sport when the country's capital Paris hosts the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The 108 Presidents of the CNOSF's Federations will have a vote in the election.

Moscow 1980 Olympic judo champion Rey was the last of the four candidates to formally declare their candidacy for CNOSF President.

The 62-year-old is also a former under-60 kilograms world champion and was a youth and sports advisor to ex-French President François Hollande from May 2012 to June 2014.

Rey is additionally a special advisor to Paris 2024.

Henriques, 50, played for the French women's football team and post-retirement has become a vice-president of both the French Football Federation and CNOSF.

Bonnet Oulaldj is co-President of the Workers' Sports and Gymnastics Federation, a grassroots body.

The 43-year-old is the only candidate not directly affiliated with one sport, and indeed the only candidate not to have represented France at international level.

Waterski legend Martin, 57, won 12 world titles and 34 European titles as an athlete.

Another CNOSF vice-president, he is also currently President of the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation European Confederation.

Agence France-Presse reported Henriques and Rey are considered the front-runners on the eve of the election.

The four candidates took part in a hustings earlier this month.