AOC: Australian rowing great James Tomkins has been elected on to the International Olympic Committee’s Athlete’s Commission.

Tomkins, 36, represented Australia at six Olympic Games, and won three gold medals and a bronze in an Olympic career spanning 20 years. He was a member of the Oarsome Foursome gold medal crew in the coxless 4 in 1992 and 1996, and a gold medallist in 2004 as part of the coxless pair.

He was the Australian flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

All athletes competing at the London Games were eligible to vote, with Tomkins to now serve eight year tenure. He was one of four athletes elected from four different sports.

“This is a tremendous honour and I am quite humbled to be honest,” Tomkins said.

“My aim in running for this position was to be the voice of the athletes and to ensure the needs of the athletes are always at the forefront of the IOC’s thinking.

“At the end of the day, the Olympic Games are about providing an environment for the world’s greatest athletes to perform at their best every four years.”

“I want to share with athletes from all countries the Olympic ideals of fair play, honesty and showing respect for all competitors.”

Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates said he was delighted with Tomkins appointment.

“I’ve had the great pleasure of knowing James Tomkins for 20 years, and there is no greater advocate for the true spirit of the Olympics than him,” Coates said.

“I can say with absolute certainty that the athletes of the world have made a great choice in asking James Tomkins to represent them.”

AOC