New AOC President to prioritise stability, appointing new Chef de Mission

Ian Chesterman's first order of priority is expected to be navigating an increasingly fraught international Olympic landscape as Australia looks towards Brisbane 2032, after the Tasmanian completed his ascension to Australia's most influential sporting administrator when he was voted President of the Australian Olympic Committee ('AOC') over the weekend.

Mr Chesterman will replace the retiring and long-serving John Coates after defeating former Olympic swimmer Mark Stockwell in a 67 to 26 vote at the AOC's Annual General Meeting on Saturday.

Mr Chesterman will initially have a three-year term, including overseeing the Paris 2024 Olympics. He has said one of his first priorities will be appointing a new Chef de Mission. Mr Chesterman's new position will also afford him a seat on the Brisbane 2032 board, and he will be tasked with an essential and challenging governance role in preparations for the Games over the next ten years.

The AOC's Annual General Meeting was attended by IOC President Thomas Bach, who, in a speech, highlighted such challenges to the Olympic movement, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a volatile geopolitical situation in referencing the recent Beijing Winter Olympics.

"They[the Winter Olympics] also took place during a time of escalating international political tensions, threatening to undermine the fundamental purpose of the Olympic Games: to unite the entire world in peaceful competition," President Bach told the meeting.

The uncertainty of these escalating tensions both in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond creates a diverse range of challenges to Chesterman's administration and stability in preparations for the 2032 Games.

Mr Chesterman, who was AOC Vice-President and Chef de Mission of Australia's 2020 Tokyo Olympic team, commences his term with immediate effect.

The Annual General Meeting also approved changes to the AOC Constitution to reflect the merging of state Olympians Clubs into a single national organisation, to be known as the Australian Olympians Association.