Jacques Rogge re-elected as IOC president

Jacques Rogge won re-election as president of the International Olympic Committee at Copenhagen today for a final four-year term. The 67-year-old Belgian, who has served as IOC president since 2001, was the only candidate and needed a simple majority in the vote. The IOC voted 88-1 in favor of his re-election. Three members abstained from voting. Also the IOC elected Mario Pescante of Italy and S er Miang NG of Singapore as new vice-presidents rejecting two other candidates. The Olympic body also re-elected its current 106 members. Rogge was elected the IOC’s eighth president in july 2001, defeating three other candidates and taking over from Juan Antonio Samaranch after 21 years in power. Rogge has overseen successful Summer Olympics in Athens, 2004 and Beijing, 2008 and Winter Games in Salt Lake City, 2002 and Turin, Italy, 2006. The former orthopedic surgeon made the fight against doping his top priority in his first eight-year term and pledged to continue the efforts to stop cheaters over the next four years. He has also championed the creation of the Youth Olympic Games, which will debut in Singapore next year featuring athletes aged 14-18.