Lindberg becomes first woman to chair IOC session
AFP - [email protected]
Published: 6 Aug, 2008 CET.
Updated: Wed 6 Aug 2008 11:23 CET
Sweden's Gunilla Lindberg became the first woman to preside over an International Olympic Committee (IOC) session on Wednesday as incumbent president Jacques Rogge had to leave prematurely for Belgium's Olympic flag raising ceremony.
Rogge said it was the first time in the body's 114-year history that this had happened.
"It has been 114 years that a woman has had to wait to chair an IOC session and its about time," said the 65-year-old Belgian.
Lindberg, 61, is an IOC vice-president, who first joined the executive board in 2000. She is due to step down from her current position later this week as her term is set to end.
One woman has run for the IOC presidency, when American Anita de Frantz took on Rogge in the contest to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2001. But she was soundly beaten and finished last in the poll.
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Rogge said it was the first time in the body's 114-year history that this had happened.
"It has been 114 years that a woman has had to wait to chair an IOC session and its about time," said the 65-year-old Belgian.
Lindberg, 61, is an IOC vice-president, who first joined the executive board in 2000. She is due to step down from her current position later this week as her term is set to end.
One woman has run for the IOC presidency, when American Anita de Frantz took on Rogge in the contest to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2001. But she was soundly beaten and finished last in the poll.
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