April 28, 2013 (Gatineau, QC) – The current focus, pace and direction of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) will continue into the next quadrennial period following the results of the biennial elections in which the leadership of the organization remained virtually unchanged.  Marcel Aubut (QC) retained his tenure as President, while the eligible Vice-President position was retained by Olympian Tricia Smith (BC). Olympians Charmaine Crooks (BC) and Therese Brisson (ON) held their positions on the Board of Directors, as did Gene Edworthy (AB). There was one change only to the board, with newly-elected member Kevin Gilmore, who is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Montreal Canadiens NHL franchise.

“I am very grateful for the continued opportunity to serve our athletes, coaches and National Sport Federations in this capacity over the next four years,” said Aubut. “I thank the Session members for their continued faith and trust, and I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that athletes and coaches have everything they need to advance the role of sport in Canadian society.”

“Not to detract from his esteemed predecessors or from the formidable team that he has built at the , but Marcel has truly been and will continue to be a game changer,” said Adam van Koeverden, Chair of the COC Athletes’ Commission. “Marcel is focused on the athlete first and foremost, and he wants to win as badly as any Olympian I’ve ever met.”

“The support that Summer Sport has received from this current President and Board has been outstanding, especially in those crucial months before, during and after London 2012,” said Greg Mathieu, Co-Chair of the Summer Sport Caucus. “This is the kind of support we value and we look forward to it continuing as we get ready for Toronto 2015 and Rio 2016.”

“There are tremendous expectations around the Winter Sports following the results achieved in Vancouver 2010,” said Peter Judge, Chair of the Winter Sport Caucus. “Passion and hard work are the most critical components of success, and Marcel and this Board certainly personify these attributes, ultimately giving the athletes and teams greater strength and focus as we move towards Sochi in 2014 and PyeongChang in 2018.”

In addition to Board-level positions, five “Class B” session members were also elected, including Crooks, Brisson, Edworthy,Gilmore. and Sochi 2014 Chef de Mission for the Canadian Olympic Team, Steve Podborski, who was elected on a shortened term to replace B member Larry Smith who resigned late last year in the midst of his term.

The election took place during the Canadian Olympic Committee’s bi-annual Session meeting, which was held over the weekend at the Hilton Lac-Leamy Hotel in Gatineau, Quebec.