John Coates, President of the Australian Olympic Committee and IOC Vice President, will head-up two key Commissions on the International Olympic Committee. Coates succeeds Bach as Chair of the IOC Juridical Commission and the Sport & Law Commission.
He has also been re-appointed to the TV Rights and New Media Commission of which he has been a member since 2005. This is in addition to being a member of the Coordination Commission for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Chair of the Coordination Commission for the Tokyo 2020 Games. What a full agenda.
Coates is also the President of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) and Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). His legal background comes to the fore.
Kevan Gosper is retiring from the IOC after 36 years but has been appointed a member of the IOC Solidarity Commission. He remains an Honorary Member of the IOC Press Commission after serving as Chairman of that Commission for 20 years.
James Tomkins, who is a member of the IOC Athlete’s Commission, has been appointed to the IOC Programme Commission.
Helen Brownlee, an AOC Vice-President, remains a member of the Culture & Olympic Education Commission as an expert in her field.
Mike Tancred, the Director of Media & Communications at the AOC, remains on the IOC Press Commission, also as an expert in his field.
More IOC roles created
Patrick Hickey of Ireland has a new role as the Olympics autonomy tsar as "a great challenge".
The role will involve Hickey being responsible to take a hands-on role where crises break out in NOCs, international federations, national federations. He will help find a solution when National Olympic Committees run into problems that threaten their status, as is happening more and more frequently (even the IOC recognises this), particularly from Government interference.
Longtime IOC member Richard Pound of Canada is the new chair of the Olympic Broadcasting Services board. He replaces Hein Verbruggen. Pound, a former Marketing Commission chairman, is one of several old guard members of the Olympic Movement on the board.
OBS founder Manolo Romero, who after the 2012 Olympics, remains as vice chair. François Carrard, former director general for the IOC, IOC director general Christophe de Kepper, IOC marketing chief Timo Lumme, and Gilbert Felli all retain their board positions. With TV and related broadcast rights now so valuable and important in the revenue streams to the IOC, the Olympic Broadcasting Services plays a crucial role for the IOC.
