Olympic boardsailing gold medallist Barbara Kendall has been elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Durban, South Africa. A veteran of five Olympic Games, Kendall won gold in 1992, silver in 1996 and bronze in 2000. She was fifth in Athens in 2004 and sixth in Beijing in 2008 before retiring from competition in 2010. Kendall joins New Zealander Barry Maister on the IOC. With two IOC Members New Zealand sport and athletes have greater potneital to understand and influence decision-making and connections at the highest levels of international sport. Kendall plays an active role in the IOCs athlete career programme and Maister sits on the Entourage Commission and was a member of the 2018 Bid Evaluation Commission. This is Kendalls second spell as an IOC Member and the second time New Zealand has had two sitting IOC members. Kendalls first spell on the IOC was as an athlete representative from 2005 2008 which coincided with the final year of Sir Tay Wilsons membership 1988 2006. The 43-year-old was voted in on the final day of the IOC's four-day session in Durban and received 73 votes in her favour and only nine against in the secret ballot.
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