Pinsent Joins IOC Athletes Commission

British rower Matthew Pinsent has been appointed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commissions the IOC announced today in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The triple Olympic gold medallist was chosen to replace Jan Zelezny from the Czech Republic who resigned from both the Athletes Commission and as an IOC member in order to focus on his sports career and his training for the 2004 Games in Athens.

The Commission had proposed Pinsent to replace the Czech javelin thrower earlier this week as he was the next highest vote-getter after Zelezny who was re-elected to the Commission during the Olympic Games in Sydney.

“I am pleased and honoured to join the IOC athletes Commission and look forward to actively representing the interest of the athletes” Pinsent told the IOC today.

Pinsent has been a member of the British Olympic Athletes Commission since 1999. His candidature for membership to the IOC will be forwarded to the Nominations Commission for consideration.