Horst Nussbaumer: New President of the ÖOC – A look at the future!

Horst Nussbaumer: New President of the ÖOC – A look at the future!

Horst Nussbaumer was elected as the new President of the Austrian Olympic Committee (ÖOC) on Monday. The election took place during an ordinary general meeting in Vienna's Prater, with Nussbaumer succeeding Karl Stoss, who was in office for 15 years, 5 months and 2 days. With this election, Nussbaumer becomes the twelfth president of the ÖOC, which has played a central role in Austrian sport since its founding in 1908 and represents the interests of national athletes in the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Wikipedia is presented.

49 of the 51 members entitled to vote were present at the general meeting, with a total of 48 votes cast. Nussbaumer received 42 votes, there were four abstentions and two votes against. 44 representatives of professional associations as well as two athlete representatives and the outgoing president Karl Stoss were eligible to vote. Nussbaumer is an experienced athlete who took part in the Olympic Games three times, finishing ninth in the sculls in 1996 and winning bronze in the sculls at the 1998 World Championships.

Board of Directors and Vice Presidents

Nussbaumer, who has been president of the Austrian Rowing Association (ÖRV) since 2013 and has also been active on the ÖOC board since 2017, plans to communicate closely with the Austrian sports institutions in order to further develop the ÖOC's mission statement. “The international competitiveness of Austrian athletes must be guaranteed through improved infrastructure, sports science, materials and technology,” said Nussbaumer after his election.

In addition to Nussbaumer, the new ÖOC board consists of three vice presidents: Roswitha Stadlober (skiing), Elisabeth Max-Theurer (equestrian sports) and Markus Prock (tobogganing). Karl Stoss will remain on the ÖOC board as an IOC member, while the new Secretary General Florian Gosch, who was appointed in June, will take up his work. The auditors include Walter Kapounek (Hockey), Ulrich Zafoschnig (Sportunion) and Andrea Schellner (ASVÖ).

History of the ÖOC

The Austrian Olympic Committee was founded in 1908 and formally recognized by the IOC in 1912. It currently includes 32 summer Olympic and 6 winter sports associations. Since 1969, the ÖOC has honored outstanding achievements in the Olympic Movement with the Pierre de Coubertin Medal. The first winners included Austrian President Franz Jonas and IOC President Avery Brundage.

With Horst Nussbaumer at the helm, the ÖOC is looking forward to a new era. The coming years could be crucial for how Austria asserts itself in international sport and prepares to best support athletes and shape the next Olympic Games.