Gold medallist Natalie Cook backs John Coates to stay as AOC boss

Olympic gold medallist Natalie Cook says John Coates deserves to stay on as AOC president.

Natalie Cook hugs AOC president John Coates at the Rio Olympic Games. Picture: Brett Costello

Queensland Olympic Council president and beach volleyball gold medallist Natalie Cook has urged the members of the Australian Olympic Committee to support incumbent president John Coates, who will face a challenger for the first time in 26 years at the AOC’s annual general meeting in May.

Olympic hockey gold medallist and Australian Sports Commission board member Danni Roche announced on Monday she would challenge Coates for the presidency.

Under the current AOC constitution, the state councils do not have a vote, but Cook said as the first Australian woman to go to five Olympic Games she wanted to give her opinion.

“I support John 100 per cent in his leadership of the AOC,’’ Cook said. “It’s a big job and I think John has done a great job. I agree with bringing through new leadership and Danni is a friend of mine, but this is a role that I think needs a lot of maturity and experience with a strong background in negotiation.

“Change shouldn’t be for the sake of change, and I don’t think we have seen enough argument that this will be a better direction. I would like to see John finish what he started and go out on his own terms. I think the time for change would be in the next Olympic cycle (Tokyo 2020).’’

Cook said the feud between Coates and ASC chairman John Wylie had “caused some bloodshed at the top’’ of Australian sport and would require some “swallowing of egos’’ to resolve.

John Bertrand became the first national federation president to break cover and support Roche yesterday but his sport of swimming has arguably less power to decide the outcome than any other Olympic sport.

Because the AOC’s structure is based on the IOC, which recognises the International Swimming Federation (FINA) as the governing body of the four aquatic sports of swimming, diving, water polo and synchronised swimming, they are recognised as one member. So, at national level, the four sports share two votes, while the other 39 member sports have two votes each.

Under Swimming Australia’s constitution, it must convene the “International Committee’’, comprising the national presidents of the four sports and FINA representative Matt Dunn, to decide on “any matter of disputation’’ between the four sports.

Deciding where their two votes go for the first contested AOC presidential election in 27 years could certainly be a matter of dispute between the sports.

Women’s water polo owes its position on the Olympic program partly to Coates’ lobbying in the lead-up to Sydney 2000.

Bertrand supported Roche’s candidacy in a column published in The Australian yesterday, saying Coates had been in the chair “for a very long time’’ and the sports “should not be afraid to consider change’’.

However, in a statement yesterday, Swimming Australia stressed that it had not yet decided who it would support officially. “Swimming Australia is encouraged to see that the first nomination announced for the coming AOC elections, Ms Danielle Roche, is such a strong candidate,’’ the statement said.

“When nominations close for the AOC elected positions, including the position of President, the Swimming Australia Board will give due consideration to all of the nominated candidates and make a decision thereafter.’’

None of the sports contacted yesterday was willing to announce its voting intentions.

Many will hold board meetings around the time that nominations close for the AOC elections, at 9am on April 6, where they will formally decide who to support.

Those assumed to be behind Roche include hockey (which nominated Roche), swimming, cycling and basketball. Those believed to be supporting Coates include rowing, athletics, sailing and the seven winter sports.

The election will be held by secret ballot on May 6.