Athletes vow to make Coates keep promise
May 6, 2017 - 5:30 PM Athletes say they will make sure John Coates sticks to his promise of reforming the Australian Olympic Committee.Coates has held off the challenge of Danni Roche, winning the AOC presidency vote 58-35 on Saturday.
But athletes' commission chair Steve Hooker warned Coates to keep his promise of change within the AOC.
"In our conversations with John, he understands that things have to change," said Hooker, an Olympic pole vault champion.
"There has to be some bridges that are repaired. And he has expressed to us personally that he is going to do that.
"We are going to hold him to account."
Gold medallist rower and commission deputy Kim Brennan said Roche's challenge should become a catalyst for change.
"Danni has done a huge service for sport by standing up and putting a light on to so many of these issues," Brennan said.
Roche was the first challenger to Coates' presidency since he took the role in 1990.
The athletes' commission supported much of Roche's election platform yet voted for Coates - with conditions.
The election gives Coates some breathing space but claims of bullying within the organisation are still to be resolved.
Former AOC chief executive Fiona de Jong is alleging media director Mike Tancred bullied her, among wider workplace harassment incidents.
Tancred stood down for the latter half of an election campaign which, in Coates's words, was always "going to be vigorous".
"I'm not getting in to any blame. The election is over," Coates said.
"What I might have said, what others said about me - that is over.
"Just move forward."
Coates said part of his charter was now ensuring a smooth transition plan, but distanced himself from choosing his successor.
"This meeting in 2021 is going to have one, two or three candidates to choose from who are going to be better than me," he said.
"And that is my task to make sure we do that."
Source: AAP
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