(ATR) As preparations for the 2016 Olympics enter a critical phase, Nawal El Moutawakel is the IOC’s voice at the table as chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Rio de Janeiro.
The IOC member from Morocco has not shied from warning Rio organizers about the dangers of delays, urging organizers to keep moving forward. With the commission now meeting twice a year, El Moutawakel’s influence on the outcome of the Rio Olympics will grow.
An IOC member since 1998, she was elected vice president this year after serving four years as an Executive Board member. She has been mentioned as a possible candidate for IOC president, a move she has said she is considering. At age 50, she has time to weigh her options as her seniority on the IOC grows.
The 1984 hurdles gold medalist, El Moutawakel is also a member of the IAAF Council and seems destined to play a leadership role with the federation as well as the IOC.
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Written and reported by the ATR Staff.