Olympic body set to confirm Mikee 1 of 9 new members

MIKEE Cojuangco-Jaworski, an equestrian gold medalist in the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, will be officially installed as an International Olympic Committee member in the ongoing 125th IOC session in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The daughter of Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. was among the final nine candidates nominated by the executive board to become IOC members. She will take the place of Frank Elizalde, who will step down at the end of the year.

“It’s just a matter of formality. The confirmation might come tomorrow (today),” said Philippine Olympic Committee secretary general Steve Hontiveros.

The 39-year-old Cojuangco-Jaworski is in Buenos Aires with her husband, Robert “Dodot” Jaworski Jr.

The IOC earlier picked Japan as host of the 2020 Summer Olympics during the assembly where the induction of new members is also part of the agenda. There are 103 IOC regular and 31 honorary members.

Long-distance runner Paul Tergat of Kenya and 2004 Athens high jump gold medalist Stefan Holm of Sweden were included in the elite list of nominees along with Larry Probst of the United States, Russia’s Alexander Zhukov and Brazil’s Bernard Rajzman.

Elizalde, a member of the Olympic body since 1985, also served as chair of the powerful nomination commission of the IOC. He was the second Filipino to make it to the IOC after the late  Jorge Vargas.