London 2012: Colin Moynihan to step down as BOA chairman

Colin Moynihan has announced he will step down as the chairman of the British Olympic Association later this year, just a day after Team GB finished third on the London 2012 medal table.

Moynihan has been in the role since 2005, succeeding Sir Craig Reedie, after beating former Olympic gold medallist David Hemery in a closely-fought election.

Despite presiding over hugely successful Games in Beijing and London, Moynihan has been involved in some controversial issues, including a row with London 2012 organisers Locog over Games profits and an unseemly spat with the World Anti-Doping Agency over the BOA’s lifetime ban for drugs cheats, a position they were forced to revise after losing a Court of Arbitration for Sport case.

During the Games he was critical of Locog’s handling on the number of empty seats at some venues and used the spotlight of Team GB success to call for a simplified in fracture of British sporting governing bodies.

Moynihan’s successor will be decided later this year, with the election process finalised at a board meeting in September

“It has been a great honour to lead the BOA but now is the time to hand over the baton to a new chairman,” he said, in a letter to national governing bodies.

“I intend to hand on the baton smoothly and securely to a successor chair who, once elected, will work with our chief executive Andy Hunt and the board to set the strategy for the next quad and appoint the management team to take us forward to Rio.

“I have given this a great deal of thought and I strongly believe that this is the right time: a new chair must have the opportunity to play a central role in the future strategy and direction of the BOA henceforth, and he or she must be integrally involved in the preparations for Sochi which, after all, is only just over eighteen months away.

“It is for this reason that I have made my decision now on the timing of the election, to ensure as long a period as possible for my successor to become established in the role, ahead of the next Games.

“The last two weeks have united and inspired the whole country and have surpassed all expectations. I am enormously proud to be able to say that with your help, Team GB has not only succeeded at London 2012, it has excelled.”

Moynihan was on Monday also awarded the Olympic Order of Merit for his services to the Olympic movement, the highest award made by the International Olympic Committee.

© Sportsbeat 2012

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