POSTED: Friday October 9th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

International Sailing Federation (ISAF) President Göran Petersson Elected As IOC Member

The election for new International Olympic Committee (IOC) members took place during the final day of the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Göran Petersson, President of the International Sailing Federation, has
today been elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee.



The election for new International Olympic Committee (IOC) members took
place during the final day of the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen,
Denmark today. 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.



Ends





Contacts



ISAF Marketing and Media Department

Tel: + 44 2380 635 111

Fax: + 44 2380 635 789

Email: marketing@isaf.co.uk





Links





International Sailing Federation (ISAF)

www.sailing.org





Notes for Editors





International Sailing Federation



The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is the world governing body for the sport of sailing.



ISAF is made up of over 120 Member National Authorities (MNAs), who are
its principle members, and responsible for the decision making process
that governs the sailing world.



There are currently more than 90 ISAF International, Recognized and
Classic Yacht Classes, ranging from the smallest being the Optimist
dinghy to the largest, the 60 foot multihull.





Sailing





Sailing is a lifetime sport enjoyed right across the world.



The sport encompasses a massive range of disciplines and events
including Olympic sailing, offshore sailing, windsurfing, match racing,
team racing, fleet racing and disabled sailing.



Sailing first joined the Olympic programme at the Paris 1900 Olympic
Games. Sailing was back on the Olympic programme for the London 1908
Olympic Games and has been a part of every Olympic Games since.

# # #

Keywords · Göran Petersson · IOC · ISAF · sailing

Name: Claire Frost
Organization: ISAF
Email:
Phone: +44 (0)2380 635111
URL: http://www.sailing.org/

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