OCI President Patrick Hickey created history in London today when he became only the second Irish man ever to be elected to the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee.
Hickey, who has been elected President of the Olympic Council of Ireland since 1989 has devoted his life to the Olympic movement and has served in many positions before today’s historic election.
A former President of the Irish Judo Association and black belt in Judo, the 67-year-old Phibsborough man is now a member of the 16 strong Executive Board which manages the affairs of the IOC and: assumes the general overall responsibility for the administration of the IOC; monitors the observance of the Olympic Charter; approves the IOC’s internal organisation, its organisation chart and all internal regulations relating to its organisation; is responsible for the management of the IOC’s finances and prepares an annual report; presents a report to the Session on any proposed change of the Olympic Charter, one of its Rules or bye-laws; submits, on proposal of the Nomination Commission, to the IOC Session the names of the persons whom it recommends for election to the IOC; conducts the procedure for acceptance and selection of candidatures for the organisation of the Olympic Games; establishes the agenda for the IOC Sessions; upon proposal from the President, it appoints the Director General; enacts, in the form it deems most appropriate, (codes, rulings, norms, guidelines, guides, instructions) all regulations necessary to ensure the proper implementation of the Olympic Charter and the organisation of the Olympic Games; organises periodic meetings with the IFs and with the NOCs at least once every two years; creates and allocates IOC honorary distinctions; performs all other duties assigned to it by the Session.
As President of the European Olympic Committees, Hickey was elected to represent the views of the 205 National Olympic Committees from around the world and will serve under along with the IOC president Jaques Rogge, four vice-presidents and 10 other members. The last time Ireland was represented at the top table of the Olympic Movement was in 1980 when Lord Killanin was the President of the IOC. Speaking after the election, the OCI President said “It is a huge honour for me personally and for Ireland and I am looking forward to playing my part as a team player on the Executive Board for the next four years”. Since 2010 he has also served as a member of the Coordination Commission for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Jeneiro and is also the Senior Vice President of the Association of National Olympic Committees.
