BUENOS AIRES, September 10 (R-Sport) – Russian Olympic Committee president and politician Alexander Zhukov was among nine candidates elected to the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday.
Zhukov’s nomination was passed 63-29, with two abstentions on the last day of the IOC congress in Buenos Aires. Zhukov had the most "no" votes of any of Tuesday's candidates, all of whom were voted in.
The arrival of Zhukov, 57, brings the number of Russians on the IOC up to four – the others being Moscow 1980 organizer Vitaly Smirnov, ex-swimming champion Alexander Popov and Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev – and Zhukov said he wanted even more of his country's representatives to be brought in.
"We should be involved in all opportunities to increase the representation of Russia on the IOC, in part through the federations, through quotas and on a personal basis," he told R-Sport.
"In Russia there are many people who could run for election. At the moment, we haven't discussed this issue with the Russian Olympic Committee, but we will definitely discuss it. We will carry out work to expand our representation."
Russia will host next year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi from February 7 to 23, and the head of the organizing committee suggested the election of Zhukov, who heads a supervisory board for the games, was a reward for Russia's leading role in Olympic affairs.
"Zhukov's successful election speaks indirectly of recognition from the side of the IOC of of the contribution of our whole country to the development of the Olympic movement," Sochi chief Dmitry Chernyshenko told R-Sport.
Zhukov and the day’s other new IOC members, who include Kenyan former marathon runner Paul Tergat and U.S. Olympic Committee head Larry Probst, will not be able to vote in the elections for a new IOC president later in the day.
Probst's arrival keeps the U.S. and Russia equal in terms of representatives, with both countries now having four.
Zhukov said he would only learn his specific areas of responsibility at the IOC at a meeting in December.
