Urdangarín makes a parenthesis in his Olympic activity
Iñaki Urdangarín, present first vice-president of Spanish Olympic Commitee (COE), will tomorrow leave the organism in a goodbye that most of its colleagues considers provisional, because nobody discards in future to him like president or, at least, outstanding representative of the spanish olympics.
The good bye of present president Jose Maria Echevarría also entails the ones of trust, among them Undangarín, "number two" in the organizational chart of the COE.
But both candidates to the presidency in the elections of tomorrow, Alexander Blanco and Mercedes Coghen, agree in which Urdangarín, by its experience and its contacts, is a man of future in the COE, probably for important position.
El Duke of Palm arrived at the COE in 2001 in quality of "sportsman in active", although he had retired of handball after the Games of Sydney. The rules of the COE allow to consider ' active' to whatever has participated in one of two last editions of the Games.
Urdangarín had disputed in Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, with bronze medal in both last. He conquered during his sport race 53 trophies, among them ten Ligas, seven Trophew of the King and nine Supercopas of Spain, all with Barcelona.
When in 2004 Santiago Fisas left to the government of the Community of Madrid left vacant the first vice-presidency of the COE, Echevarría affirmed that nobody best than Urdangarín to fill the place.
"He will be helpful in the international scene and in the relations with national institutions and the sponsors, as well as in contact with the sportsmen", affirmed Echevarría. His proposal was approved unanimously in assembly .
He considered then that the appointment, opened to Urdangarín the doors of the presidency of the COE, in 2005 or in 2009.
But retired Olympics' Federations had been protesting for more power to the Committee and, after obtaining a change of statutes that reinforced its majority, agreed themselves to choose a candidate of consensus in the person of Blanco Alexander, president of Judo.
But the consensus was'nt total and arose the rival candidacy of Mercedes Coghen, vice-president of Hockey, but, in any case, the federal world had the situation controlled and any other aspiring would have lost.
Urdangarín considered that it was not the moment for presenting/displaying its candidacy to the presidency of the COE. Nor Blanco or Coghen included him in their list of collaborator, reason why, at least for the moment, tomorrow it will end his collaboration with Spanish Olympics.
Coghen has already announced that, if he gains the elections, in the next ordinary assembly he will propose the return of Urdangarín to the COE " due to his experience, his contacts and his love for sport".
Also Blanco thinks that COE must continue having him and thinks that someday he will be the optimal candidate for president.
Undangarín would also be an excelent member of the COI (International Olympic Commitee) by his condition of Olympic medallista, his formation and his youth, in the line of which the international organism looks for at the moment.
(from ABC.es)
