John Coates has headed the Australian Olympic Committee for 19 years. (Getty Images)Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates was re-elected unopposed this weekend, kicking off his new four-year term with a focus on bad athlete behavior.
Coates, the AOC’s leader for 19 years, called for all Olympic sports to embrace his organization’s reinforced athlete conduct guidelines. He cited the controversial Nick D’Arcy affair as a “big awakening” for athletes and officials.
Last year the AOC approved new rules which compelled Olympic athletes to disclose information about any convictions or charges involving drugs, alcohol or sex or any offense punishable by imprisonment.
Coates said the AOC could not enforce these standards on all the various Australian Olympic bodies, but encouraged them to do so.
“This shouldn't just be a standard that happens when you become a member of the Olympic team,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity for all of our member Olympic sports to expect and ensure that their athletes who go to world championships and other international competitions respect the athletes who’ve come before them and conduct themselves appropriately.
“I think [the D'Arcy affair] was a very big awakening.”
Coates said the policy leaves no doubt in athletes’ minds about what was expected of them when they represent Australia.
“Athletes have to understand the responsibilities that come with being an elite athlete and understand that if they step over the line, there are very severe consequences in terms of membership of our teams," he said.
Vice Presidents Ron Harvey and Peter Montgomery were also re-elected at the meeting.
Harvey, who was awarded the prestigious Pierre de Coubertin Award for Outstanding Service to the Olympic movement along with Coates, stressed the importance of maintaining high standards in athlete behavior.
“To represent Australia at an Olympic Games is the ultimate prize for any athlete and it is a prize that should not be tarnished by lowering the standards our champions have set for us,” Harvey said.
“Sports people of today need to look up to their heroes, not down on them.”
Coates also revealed sponsorship revenue for the Australian team’s 2012 Olympics campaign was on track, despite difficult economic conditions.
The AOC boss said he received a call on Friday night from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reaffirming the federal government's ongoing support for Australia's 2012 Olympic campaign.
But the government is waiting on the findings of the Crawford Report, an independent experts' panel into Australia's sporting systems, before outlining further funding details.
Coates told delegates $22 million of the $27.4 million sponsorship target for the 2012 campaign had been raised, with another $2.3 million about to be finalized.
“We are in a very fortunate position of having been selling, not just for the current Olympiad but one or two in advance and we are sitting on $24.6 million out of the $27.4 million for the 2009-2012 Olympiad," Coates said.
"If we were starting now, we wouldn't be able to secure those sponsorships."
Coates said the policy of securing sponsorships well ahead of the London Olympics had paid off as raising that amount now would be difficult given the current economic climate.
Looking ahead to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Australia is planning to assemble a team of around 30-35 competitors.
“We go into the Winter Games with talent across a wider range of events, than we ever thought possible,” Coates said.
Yachting administrator and former St. Kilda AFL club President and chairman Andrew Plympton was the only new member elected to the AOC executive. Plympton replaced Olympic swimming gold medalist swimmer Michael Wenden, who retired after 20 years.
Wenden and four-time Olympic water polo representative Peter Montgomery were awarded life membership in the AOC for their long service.
Written by Anthony Stavrinos
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