Ireland claimed its first major win of the Olympics 2012 when Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey was elected to the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee.  He is only the second Irishman ever to be represented at the top level of the movement, following Lord Killanin who served as President from 1972 to 1980.
Hickey is a former President of the Irish Judo Association and black belt in Judo. The 67-year-old Phibsborough native has served as President of the Olympic Council of Ireland since 1989.  The new role will see him serve as a member of the 16 strong Executive Board which manages the affairs of the IOC and is responsible for the general overall organisation of the entire Olympic movement.
Speaking after the election, the OCI President said “It is a huge honour for me personally and for Ireland and I am looking forward to playing my part as a team player on the Executive Board for the next four years”.
It is to be hoped he sits during a less challenging time for the Olympics than his irish predecessor who took over from Avery Brundage of the USA and was President during the murder of Israeli athletes in the Olympic village at Munich in 1972 and left the post just before the major boycott by western nations of the Moscow games in 1980.
Sergei Bubka was also elected to the IOC Board yesterday.  Hickey has indicated he will step down from his Irish role in the next 12-36 months.  William O’Brien and John Delaney are the current vice-presidents of the OCI.
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