The IOC Executive Board regretfully accepted the resignation of Susie O'Neill from both the IOC and its Athletes’ Commission last week. As O'Neill was the only Commission member from Oceania, according to the rules of the Athletes' Commission, the replacement shall be the athlete from that continent who had the next highest number of votes in the election in which the member was elected. The Athletes’ Commission proposed Kendall to replace O'Neill as she was the next highest vote-getter from Oceania, outside of the other athletes elected in Sydney in 2000.

Olympic champion in sailing at the Barcelona Games in 1992, Kendall has participated in a total of four Olympic Games, including the Athens Games last year. She has also won a silver medal in the Atlanta Games in 1996 and a bronze medal in the Sydney Games in 2000.

Barbara Kendall will take an active part in the Athletes' Commission meeting in June in Lausanne. Her candidature for membership to the IOC will be forwarded to the Nominations Commission for consideration in advance of the IOC Session in Singapore in July 2005.

Photos: web site Barbara Kendall

Source: INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE PRESS RELEASE