Jean-Claude Killy, the ski legend who helped mastermind the success of the Sochi Olympics, is quitting the IOC after 19 years.
Killy, who chaired the IOC coordination commission for Sochi since 2007, said the timing was right having accomplished his mission. The triple Olympic champion for France said a few months ago that he would resign after the Games.
The 70-year-old tells L'Équipe, in an interview to be published on Saturday, that he sent a letter of resignation to IOC president Thomas Bach this week.
"I'm stopping because after Sochi, at my age, after spending seven years campaigning for Russia, it's difficult to find something as rewarding and exciting," he is quoted as saying.
After 50 years in sport and nearly 20 years at the IOC, the triple Olympic champion said, "I have to move on."
Killy entered the IOC in 1995 after co-chairing the organizing committee for the 1992 Albertville Winter Games.
The three-time world skiing champion was an influential French IOC member.
In a statement, IOC president Thomas Bach expressed "sincere thanks and great appreciation."
"Having already been a sporting legend as an athlete, he later dedicated himself to the IOC, its values and ideals - also with great success. In this respect, I could mention many of his accomplishments," said Bach, "but I know that he himself would consider his unique contribution to the fantastic success of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games as his greatest achievement."
Killy chaired the IOC co-com for Turin 2006, was vice-chairman of the IOC watchdog for Salt Lake City 2002, and a member of several other committees including the IOC’s finance body.
"For every IOC member who served, we have to show our gratitude," OCA president and IOC member Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah told Around the Ringsat the ANOC Executive Council meeting in Kuwait.
"We hope he maintains his relationship with sport society."
The IOC has yet to officially confirm Killy’s resignation. Sochi 2014 did not issuecomment but reminded Around the Ringsthat organizing committee president Dmitry Chernyshenko heaped praise on Killy on many occasions in the build up to and during the 2014 Games.
Written by Mark Bisson
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