Jacques Rogge of Belgium was elected the new president of the International Olympic Committee in Moscow Monday after the second round of voting.
American Anita DeFrantz dropped out after the first round.
Rogge, age 59, an Orthopedic surgeon, was outgoing president Juan Antonio Samaranch’s personal choice. He has been the president of the European Olympic Committees since 1989, vice-president of the Association of National Olympic Committees, and a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency council since 1999.
Rogge has been a member of the IOC since 1991, on the IOC executive board since 1998, chair of the co-ordination commission commission for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Games.
Rogge said if he was elected IOC president, he would downsize the Games, saying they have become too costly.
On the eve of the election, outgoing president Juan Antonio Samaranch sabotaged Canadian Dick Pounds chances by saying that the World Anti-Doping Agency was a mess and urged Pound to organize another conference.
Rogge’s first act was to award Samaranch the Olympic Order.
