Rogge elected IOC president, succeeds Samaranch

Belgian surgeon Jacques Rogge was elected on Monday to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Rogge, 59, won an absolute majority in the second round of voting to take control of the world's leading sports federation for the next eight years.

Samaranch, who turns 81 on Tuesday, had headed the IOC since 1980.

The losing candidates were South Korean Kim Un-yong, Canadian Dick Pound, American Anita DeFrantz and Hungary's Pal Schmitt. Former rower DeFrantz was eliminated in the first round

Samaranch announced the decision in the Kremlin's Hall of Columns, 21 years to the day after he was elected to succeed Ireland's Lord Killanin.

"I have the pleasure to announce to the world that the new president of the International Olympic Committee is Dr Jaccuqes Rogge," Samaranch said.

In a brief speech Rogge thanked members for electing him and praised the other candidates for fighting a "long and dignified campaign"

"I promise them I will work very hard for the IOC and the Olympic movement," he said.

PROLONGED OVATION

Samaranch, who stood smiling by Rogge's side, received a prolonged ovation from IOC members.

After his speech Rogge presented Samaranch the IOC's highest honour, the Olympic Order in Gold, and kissed the Spaniard on both cheeks.

Rogge's election seemed assured after Kim had his chances fatally damaged on Sunday when the IOC's ethics commission said he had been questioned over a possible rules breach after a letter from an IOC member.

The 70-year-old South Korean was asked about comments attributed to him in newspapers suggesting he would offer IOC members $50,000 a year for an office and expenses if he became president.

Pound, 59, another IOC veteran and head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, also suffered a rebuff on Sunday when Samaranch said the drugs problem was "a mess" and called for a world conference on doping before the end of the year.

Rogge, a former Olympic yachtsman who competed at three Olympic Games, has risen rapidly to the top after only 10 years on the IOC.

He gained a seat on the ruling executive board three years ago before the Nagano Winter Games, coordinated last year's Sydney Olympics and has taken charge of the troubled preparations for the 2004 Athens Games.

Rogge will now head the IOC through the Athens Olympics and the Beijing Games four years later. China was awarded an Olympics for the first time last Friday.

Samaranch leaves a mixed legacy to his successor.

He successfully steered the Olympic movement through two successive political boycotts and helped turn the Games into a stunning financial success.

But the IOC's image was tarnished with revelations in 1998 that members had accepted bribes in Salt Lake City's successful bid of the 2002 Winter Games. Ten members either resigned or were expelled.