The IOC Executive Board has announced that ITU President, Marisol Casado has been nominated to become an IOC member at the February 2010 IOC Session in Vancouver.  The elections are considered a formality. The nomination of Marisol is a huge honour for both ITU and the entire Triathlon family.

Marisol brings a wealth of experience and service to triathlon to the IOC. As one of the founders of the Spanish Triathlon Federation, Marisol was also involved in the creation of ITU as the Spanish Triathlon representative.  She has held posts as the Secretary General of the Spanish Triathlon Federation (1989 – 1994 and 1997 – 2008) and Treasurer for ITU (1992 – 1994 and 2000 – 2008).

A member of the Spanish Olympic Committee (1992 – 1994 and 2000 to present), she has since 2004 served as President to its Women and Sport Commission. A former President of the European Triathlon Union, comprising 41 federations, from 2002 to 2008, Marisol has received silver medal award “Real Orden del Merito Deportivo Español” for her service to sport.

In all, six new members were nominated including two other women beside Casado; China’s Yang Yang, a two-time Olympic female short track speed skating gold medallist and Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, an official of the Ethiopian National Olympic committee.

Others nominated are Prince Faisal of Jordan, head of the country’s national Olympic committee and younger brother of King Abdullah II, Pat McQuaid of Ireland, president of cycling federation UCI, and Barry Maister, secretary general of the New Zealand Olympic committee and a former gold medallist in field hockey.

The IOC currently has 112 members, but four will retire at the end of the year. The six new members will bring the total to 114, including 20 women.