Three-time Olympic swimming medalist Mark Stockwell came up short in his bid to win the presidency of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) at their annual general meeting in Sydney on Saturday.
Stockwell, 58, lost out to AOC Vice President Ian Chesterman by a vote of 67-26.
Chesterman will succeed the long-tenured John Coates, who ends his 32-year reign after assuming the AOC Presidency back in 1990.
Stockwell is married to Tracy Stockwell (née Caulkins), one of the most revered American female swimmers in history who won three gold medals at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
She was notably named the new President of Swimming Australia back in February, and the two would’ve formed a powerful duo down under had Stockwell won the AOC presidency.
Mark Stockwell also won three medals at the 1984 Games while representing Australia, claiming silver in the men’s 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay while adding a bronze in the 400 medley relay.
Stockwell currently serves on the board of directors of the Australian Sports Commission and is also the chairman of the Australian Sports Foundation, a non-profit company that raises money for Australian sports projects.
Coates leaves behind an indelible legacy that includes bringing the massively successful 2000 Olympic Games to Sydney, and he steps aside shortly after winning the bid to bring the Games to Brisbane in 2032.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach called Coates’ legacy “unparalleled.”
Coates used his final address to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, announcing the AOC would support any Ukrainian athletes looking to relocate to Australia on humanitarian visas.
In addition to his role as vice president, Chesterman, 63, has also served as the chef de mission on seven Australian Olympic teams, six of them coming at the Winter Games before assuming the same role for Tokyo 2020.
“My vision for the Olympic movement is about making sure we continue to create opportunities for young Australians,” Chesterman said, according to The Guardian.
“We really want to use this opportunity going forward to Brisbane, having built a fantastic platform in Tokyo, to drive our Olympic sports, to encourage kids to dream, not about becoming an AFL player or an NRL player, but becoming an Olympian.”
