US IOC Member Runs for Executive Board

(ATR) Senior U.S. IOC member Anita DeFrantz will run for a seat on the Executive Board later this year she says in a brief email to Around the Rings.

She has informed her IOC colleagues of her interest in a separate communication, asking for their support. She is the first candidate to formally declare for the election that will take place September 10 at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires. A new IOC president will be chosen that same day.

There are two vice presidencies up for vote this year with Thomas Bach of Germany and Ser Miang Ng of Singapore reaching term limits. Both are believed to be candidates for the presidency.

Just one regular seat on the EB is up for election, currently held by John Coates of Australia who could run again, perhaps for one of the vp spots.

DeFrantz, 61, served on the EB for eight years in the 1990’s ending as a vice president and unsuccessful as a candidate for president in 2001.

DeFrantz mounted a bid for a return to the EB last year at the IOC Session in London but dropped out the day before the vote. In 2007 she finished last in the voting in another try for the EB.

The U.S. hasn’t held a seat on the EB since 2006 when James Easton stepped down as a vice president.

If successful she would become the fourth woman member of the EB, the most-ever for the board.

DeFrantz has said that after the demise of her presidential bid in 2001 she is not interested in trying for the post again this year.

An Olympian in rowing and lawyer by profession, DeFrantz is president of the LA84 Foundation.She became an IOC member in 1986.

As an IOC member she is chair of the Women and Sport Commission and a member of the Sport and Law and Juridical commissions. She is also chair of the IOC Athletes Commission Election Committee, overseeing the voting that takes place during the Games as athletes choose which of their peers to serve on the Athletes Commission.

Written and reported by Ed Hula

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