Chesterman elected Australian Olympic Committee president

MELBOURNE :Ian Chesterman was elected president of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) at its annual general meeting on Saturday, replacing long-serving boss John Coates.

Chesterman, the Australian team's chef de mission at multiple Olympics and an AOC executive for more than 20 years, will take the governing body into a new era, as Coates retires after 32 years in the role.

He defeated rival candidate Mark Stockwell by winning 67 out of 93 votes from delegates in Sydney on Saturday.

"It really is my great honour to serve, and to continue to be able to service the Olympic movement," the 53-year-old Tasmanian told the meeting, pledging to stick to Coates's watchword of "athletes first".

He added, "We have such a bright future in Olympic sports, we have to make sure we get out there and make sure every day that we make a difference for our athletes, for young Australians."

At last year's Tokyo Olympics, postponed from 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, Chesterman was Australia's first chef de mission for both the winter and summer Games and has basked in the team's recent successes.

Australia claimed 17 gold medals at Tokyo to match its record haul at the 2004 Athens Games and a took a record four medals at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

He takes over from Coates as Australia seeks to build on its resurgence in the leadup to hosting the 2032 Brisbane Games.

One of his first tasks will be to secure ample funding to retain and develop talent, particularly in women's sport.

In recent years, professional pathways have opened for women in major sports competitions, such as the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL), which could mean a stiffer challenge keeping athletes focused on winning Olympic medals