Moon Dae-sung reacts after learning that he was elected as a new member of the IOC athletes’ commission. / Joint Press Corps |
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
Former taekwondo Olympic champion Moon Dae-sung was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) athletes' commission Thursday.
The 32-year-old South Korean, a heavyweight gold medalist in the 2004 Athens Games, led the vote among the 29 high-profile athletes seeking election, making him the country's second IOC member alongside Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee.
Moon will serve for eight years on the 19-member athletes commission, whose role is to provide a link between active competitors and the Olympic governing body.
Only active Olympians or athletes who have participated in the previous Games are allowed candidacy and every athlete participating in the Beijing Games was eligible to vote.
Moon is the first Asian Olympian ever to be voted to the IOC athletes' commission.
``The news brought tears to my eyes,'' said Moon, adding that he spent about 15 hours a day touring the athletes' village to promote his candidacy.
``Some of the athletes and coaches gave me a suspicious look when I first approached them with my awkward English, but later they hugged me and wished me good luck,'' he said.
``Right now, the United States and European states have the largest influence in international sports, and I will try to represent the interests of Asian countries.''
Moon received 3,220 of the 7,216 total votes and was followed by Russian swimming legend Alexander Popov with 1,903 votes. German fencing standout Claudia Bokel came in third with 1,836 votes, followed by Cuban volleyball star Yumilka Ruiz Luaces with 1,571.
All four were elected to the athletes' commission and will be granted full rights as IOC members, including voting on Olympic venues and other major decisions.
Of the committee's 19 members, 15 are granted full authority as IOC members, including Moon. Short track speed skating star Chun Lee-kyung is another Korean representative on the athletes' commission, but not an IOC member.
Active athletes such as Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, Australian swimmer Grant Hackett and Kenyan marathoner Paul Tergat failed to get elected.
thkim@koreatimes.co.kr
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