Rowing President Places Second on Top 25 list

Denis Oswald, FISA President

United States based Olympic activity newsletter, Around the Rings, has placed International Rowing Federation (FISA) President Denis Oswald in second place in its Golden 25 ranking of influential sports personalities for 2003. Moving up from sixth place in 2002, Oswald placed just after International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge, Around the Rings revealed last week.

Former Olympic rower and medallist, Oswald has been president of FISA since 1989 and an IOC member since 1991. In 2000 President Rogge appointed Oswald to replace him as chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games making him a key figure in the lead up to the next Games. In addition, Oswald is president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).

The third place spot of the top 25 list went to Giannia Angelopoulos, president of the Athens 2004 organising committee who will also be under the spotlight in this pre-Olympic year. Also featured on the list is the chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for Beijing in 2008 Hein Verbruggen (seventh place) and athlete and IOC member from Ukraine Sergey Bubka (eight place).