A page is turning in Australian sport. John Coates handed over the keys to his office as president of the National Olympic Committee (AOC) on Saturday April 30. An office where he knew every corner with his eyes closed. He occupied the space for 32 years. A record.
To replace it, the delegates of the Australian sports movement did not really hesitate. Two men presented themselves to put on the costume of John Coates: Ian Chesterman, already in the position of vice-president, seven times head of mission of the delegation to the Olympic Games; and Mark Stockwell, a former three-medal swimmer at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, also known as the husband of Tracy Caulkins, one of the legends of American swimming.
The battle looked indecisive. She wasn't. Ian Chesterman was elected president of the AOC with 67 votes, compared to just 26 votes for Mark Stockwell.
A page is turning, therefore. Ian Chesterman will lead the Australian Olympic movement into a decade that promises to be historic for the country, leading up to the Summer Games in Brisbane in 2032. His victory was hailed by Thomas Bach, who came to attend in Sydney in guest of honor at the transfer of power.
The IOC President paid a personal tribute, but aimed at the old rather than the new. “ In the Olympic movement we know many unique personalities, suggested Thomas Bach to evoke John Coates. You may not have the grace and elegance of Cathy Freeman, you may not have the dynamism of Dawn Fraser, but you are truly an exceptional person. You changed the face of the Olympic movement in Australia. You are a champion, my friend. »
Very lively, Thomas Bach did not reserve his praise only for John Coates. The German leader also shared his enthusiasm at the prospect of working with the Australians for the Brisbane Games in 2032. With more than ten years to go, the work has not yet really started, the organizing committee having only held one meeting. But Thomas Bach is clear: the Australians are right.
« We are not just satisfied, we are impressed and happy, insisted Thomas Bach. We are off to a truly wonderful start. At the IOC, we are extremely impressed by the quality of the board of directors of the organizing committee, by its diversity and the emphasis placed on athletes and on inclusiveness with the presence of two indigenous people on the board of directors. . This honeymoon won't last forever, as we know from experience. Like any marriage, it will have its ups and downs, but mutual respect and enthusiasm will allow us to overcome some unexpected obstacles. »
At almost 72 years old (he was born on May 7, 1950), John Coates can prepare to live very closely the honeymoon and the years of marriage mentioned by Thomas Bach to the Australian Olympic movement. The IOC recalls this in a press release: he will remain honorary president of the national Olympic committee and vice-president of the organizing committee for the Brisbane 2032 Games.
The information is revealed by the Guardian : John Coates himself prepared his presence at the forefront of the preparation for the Brisbane 2032 Games. The British daily explains that he wrote his own letter of recommendation, in April 2021, to sit on the committee of organization of the Olympic and Paralympic meeting.
His presence on the board of directors of Brisbane 2032 was in fact not acquired once he abandoned his function as president of the national Olympic committee. John Coates knew it. According to Guardian, the Australian took the lead in ensuring that a seat was reserved for him in his capacity as honorary president of the AOC.
Sent to Matt Carroll, the general director of the AOC, the letter prepared by John Coates assured that it would be “ hard to imagine someone better qualified in the world of sport » to be appointed to the organizing committee for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
John Coates reportedly requested that the letter be signed by Matt Carroll, then forwarded to Peter Sheehan and Mark Cushing, two experts from BDO Consultancy, an accounting firm responsible for helping to set up the Brisbane Games organizing committee.
The letter continues: “ Consequently, you are asked to include a position of Honorary Life President of the AOC within the OCOG (the organizing committee for the Brisbane 2032 Games) from the end of his mandate as an IOC member. » The request did not receive the slightest opposition.
