Australian Kevan Gosper, an IOC vice president, has announced he plans to support Canadian Dick Pound for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee.
Gosper told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio he backed Pound against Beligan Jacques Rogge and South Korea’s Kim Un-yong, the other front-runners in the race.
Gosper said that Kim, at age 70, was too old for the job and had been “caught up” in the Salt Lake bribery scandal.
“For me, the two younger men should be the people out of whom we choose. Either of the two men would be very good presidents. Kim is 70 and in my mind that is too late”.
Gosper said he and Pound had made a reciprocal arrangement to support each other should either of the men be nominated for the presidency. Gosper decided not to pursue the job.
“I do favour Pound”, he said. “I also think Pound is the most experienced of all three and has contributed remarkably across the board, but I repeat any one of the three could be successful presidents”.
Pal Schmitt of Hungary and Anita DeFrantz of the United States are the other two candidates.
