Australian sport ushered in a new era Saturday when powerbroker John Coates stood down as president of the country’s Olympic Committee after 32 years at the helm.
Coates, 71, rose to prominence when he helped Sydney win its 2000 Games bid and is credited with shaping the Olympic movement globally in the decades since.
He told the Australian Olympic Committee’s annual meeting in Sydney those Games were among his career highlights, along with creating financial security for the AOC.
“In my 32 years as president, we’ve followed what has become known as the Bach mantra: ‘Change or be changed’,” he said.