Larry Probst and Alexander Zhukov Poised to Become IOC Members

(ATR) The heads of the United States and Russian Olympic Committees areset to become IOC members, part of a group of nine proposed for electionat the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires.

Larry Probst, U.S. Olympic Committee chairman, and Alexander Zhukov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, had their nominations approved by the IOC Executive Board Tuesday in Lausanne.

They were nominated along with seven other individuals.

The list includes Octavian Morariu of Romania, Bernard Rajzman of Brazil, Mikaela Maria Antonia Cojuangco-Jaworski of the Philippines, Paul Tergat of Kenya, Dagmawit Girmay Berhane of Ethiopia, Camiel Eurlings of the Netherlands, and Stefan Holm of Sweden.

All face votes to be confirmed Sept. 10 at the IOC Session.

Probst 62, was first elected USOC chairman in 2008. He also serves as Executive Chairman of Electronic Arts.

"I am truly honored to be nominated for membership in the IOC, and extremely grateful for the potential opportunity to serve the Olympic Movement," said Probst in a statement. He would become the fourth IOC member in the U.S.

Zhukov, 57, became ROC President in 2010 and has served as Deputy Prime Minister of Russia since 2004.

Rajzman gives Brazil a seat on the IOC ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympics. Berhane has served as an IOC member already, but had to be renominated when she lost her election as secretary general of the NOC.Eurlings, KLM Airlines CEO, takes the seat held by Willem Alexander, who has become king of the Netherlands and will step down after the Buenos Aires session.

The IOC also approved the athletes elected during the London 2012 Games to the IOC Athletes Commission . Their election was put on hold while appeals were heard.

They are Danka Bartekova of Slovakia, James Tomkins of Australia, Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, and Tony Estanguet of France.

They will take the oath July 3 at the IOC Extraordinary Session in Lausanne. The four athletes will be eligible to vote for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games host city one day later on July 4 as well as in September for the 2020 host and the new IOC president.

The nine new nominees proposed today will take the oath at the end of the Buenos Aires session and will not be eligible to vote for either IOC president or the 2020 host city. If approved by the IOC, the new members will bring the roster to 109.

Written by Ed Hula III with reporting in Lausanne from Ed Hula.

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