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US ice hockey player Ruggiero elected IOC athletes commission chair

Xinhua, August 1, 2016 Adjust font size:

American ice hockey Olympic champion Angela Ruggiero has been elected as the new chair of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission, replacing outoging chair Claudia Bokel, the IOC said on Monday.

Ruggiero is the current vice-chair of the Commission, which acts as the voice of the athletes within the IOC and the Olympic Movement, and is a former ice hockey player who has played more games for Team USA than any other man or woman.

"I am grateful for the trust my fellow IOC Athletes' Commission members have put in me and my work. It is an important time within the Olympic Movement and our Commission has a great responsibility. I will make sure our voices aren't just heard, but that they are effective and that we empower athletes around the world to do the same," said Ruggiero.

After four years at the helm of the Commission, Bokel will see her term of office come to an end at the conclusion of the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

Bokel congratulated Ruggiero, saying: "It has been such an honor to represent the athletes' voice over the past eight years. I have had the pleasure to work with an amazing group of people within the IOC Athletes' Commission and my colleagues on the IOC Executive Board. I have worked with Angela Ruggiero as the Vice-Chair over the past two years, and I am convinced she will continue to be the voice of the athletes within the IOC Executive Board and the Olympic Movement. I wish her and the IOC Athletes' Commission the best of luck for the future."

Tony Estanguet was in turn elected as vice chair.

With four more days to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Rio 2016, the IOC Executive Board met with the IOC Athletes' Commission Monday morning to discuss important topics ranging from the protection of clean athletes, athletes' representation in National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs), to IOC Athlete Programmes, and the Commission's mission during the Games and the elections currently underway. Endit