Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik was today elected a member of the International Olympic Committee.

The Prince is a keen sailor and well known to the Olympic family. Prince Frederik spoke at the opening of the Olympic Congress in Copenhagen earlier in the week and he and Princess Mary joined the IOC members to celebrate Rio’s win last weekend.

Frederik met his wife Mary Donaldson from Tasmania during the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

He will have little time to celebrate his election victory. He is off to Sydney to compete in the sailing events at the World Masters Games. He will race in the 35-plus Tasar division where he has a friendly-rivalry with Australian 470s gold medallist Malcolm Page.

Six nominees including one female were proposed for election. The new IOC members are as follows: Richard Peterkin, president of the St. Lucia Olympic Committee; Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark; Habu Ahmed Gumel, president of the Nigerian Olympic Committee; Habib Abdul Nabi Macki from Oman, a vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia; Lydia Nsekera, president of the Burundi Football Association; and Sweden’s Goran Petersson, president of the International Sailing Federation.

Earlier, Jacques Rogge was re-elected unopposed as IOC President. He will spend another four years in the top job.

‘Our focus is now on the future, we have much more to do to improve and strengthen our Movement” he said.

“We will deliver outstanding Games’ in Vancouver 2010, London 2012, Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016”.

Mr Rogge has two new Vice Presidents.Ser Miang Ng of Singapore and Mario Pescante of Italy replace Chiharu Igaya of Japan and Lambis Nikolaou of Greece whose terms have expired.

Mr Ng is leading the organisation of the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August 2010.

Mike Tancred – AOC
Copenhagen