The election for new International Olympic Committee (IOC) members took place during the final day of the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark. The current IOC Members elected Göran Petersson as one of six new members by 76 votes to 12. Petersson joins the IOC in his role as President of the International Sailing Federation and will serve an eight-year term.
Göran Petersson said, “It is a great honour to be elected as an IOC Member and I would like to thank the IOC Executive Board and Members, as well as the International Sports Federations for their support. This week in Copenhagen has shown us how much the world of sport has changed over the past 15 years and provided a great forum to focus on the challenges ahead. Becoming an IOC Member is not only a great honour, it is also a great responsibility and I look forward to serving the world of sport.”
Petersson was proposed as a new IOC Member by the IOC Executive Board following their meeting at Berlin in August earlier this year. The role of IOC members defined in the Olympic Charter is to, “represent and promote the interests of the IOC and of the Olympic Movement in their countries and in the organisations of the Olympic Movement in which they serve”.
Petersson, from Sweden, has served as ISAF President since November 2004 and was re-elected for a second four-year term as President in November 2008. As well as his involvement in the administration of the sport, the ISAF President has played a key role at the sailing events of the Olympic Games over several decades. He was a member of the International Jury at every Games from 1980-1996 (Chairman of the International Jury in 1992 and 1996) and was one of two Technical Delegates for sailing at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Games. Most recently, he was a member of the IOC's Evaluation Commission for the 2016 Olympic Games. Petersson is also a Council member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).
At the IOC Session today, HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, a member of the ISAF Events Committee, was also elected as an IOC Member and Ser Miang Ng of Singapore, an ISAF Vice-President from 1994-1998, was elected an IOC Vice-President. The IOC President Jacques Rogge, who competed in the sailing competitions at the 1968 Mexico, 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Games, was re-elected for a second term.
