With the voluntary resignation of John Coates as chairman of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for Australia, an era has come to an end for sport on the fifth continent.
The delegates at the NOC General Assembly elected Ian Chesterman, who acted as Australia’s Chef de Mission at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year, to succeed the 71-year-old Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Coates has long been one of the world’s most influential sports officials. The lawyer was responsible for the successful Olympic candidatures of Sydney for the 2000 Summer Games and Brisbane for 2032.
Coates will remain a member of the IOC leadership until the 2024 Paris Games. The ex-rower is also President of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).