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Barry Maister named on IOC Coordination Commission for Pyeongchang 2018 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for Pyeongchang 2018 has been announced and includes the former secretary general of The New Zealand Olympic Committee Barry Maister. The IOC Coordination Commission will be in charge of overseeing preparations, including structures and venues, ahead of the 2018 Winter Games. Maisters role will involve elements of organisation and ensuring that Pyeongchang delivers a successful Games on budget. We are there to monitor and direct and lead to ensure the Games are successful, he said. We have to question, challenge and work alongside the Organising Committee for the next seven years. Maisters Membership on the 11-person Coordination Commission, which is headed by Swedens Gunilla Lindberg, will benefit New Zealand too. If we want to have winter sport activities in our country then it is important to know the process involved, Maister said. He also said it was good for him to be there to be able to retain the profile of New Zealand as a destination for winter sports. Maister has been working with the Major Events Strategy in Auckland and Sparc and hopes to be able to use the knowledge and experience he gains from working with the IOC Coordination Committee will add value to these organisations. Maister was also a part of the IOCs Evaluation Commission involved in evaluating the three countries who bid to host the 2018 Games reporting back to IOC members before a final decision could be made. As part of the process Maister and other members of the committee were involved in an intensive five day visit where they sat, listened and watched what Pyeongchang could deliver. It has provided a really good insight into Pyeongchang and what they have to offer, Maister said. My role now has changed from one of evaluation to organisation. Weve seen what they said theyd have to offer and now we have to help them deliver. Maister said that he is looking forward to being able to see the process right through, working with what he considers experts at the IOC and sees it as a really good learning curve where he will be able to come away with insight and experience. Other members of the IOC Coordination Commission include Vice-president of the Chinese Olympic Committee Zhaiqing Yu, President of the Japanese Olympic Committee Tsunekazu Takeda, the IOC's Executive Director for the Olympic Games Gilbert Felli, Denmark's heir apparent, Crown Prince Frederik, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation Rene Fasel, President of the International Ski Federation, Gian-Franco Kasper, American ice hockey player Angela Ruggiero and Britain's Adam Pengilly
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