FIH Executive Board Member and former Olympic Gold Medalist Mercedes Coghen has been selected to head the Madrid bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. By accepting this challenging position, the 44 years old Spanish former hockey star will with immediate effect retire from her FIH positions. Coghen was chair of the Athletes Panel and therefore member of the Executive Board and Events & Competitions Committee member. Coghen will be replaced by Australian Renita Garard.
Coghen, who was leading the organizing committee of the 2006 Samsung Hockey World Cup women recently held in Madrid, Spain, informed the FIH of her new job during the Executive Board Meeting in London this November.
ÔÇÿI am really very pleased with this nomination which was made unanimously by all the Madrid council parties. I think is important for this project to start with everyone's support', Coghen stated.
ÔÇÿI know it is a tremendous challenge but also one of the most passionate jobs I can imagine not only among the sport business but also considering how it can change the future of my city', said the Madrid born Coghen, who was working on the Madrid 2012 bid and recently lost a tight race for the presidency of the Spanish National Olympic Committee.
ÔÇÿI am confident because I know I'll have great professional people working with me. I'm sure it is going to be tough, almost three years of madness, but I learned from when we were preparing the Barcelona Olympic Games that the effort has always a worth recompense.' Coghen won the Olympic Gold with the Spanish national team in Barcelona 1992.
ÔÇÿIt is a great honour for her to be appointed for this job', FIH President Els van Breda Vriesman said. ÔÇÿWe can be very proud of her and I am sure that she is the right person at the right place. She will get full support from the FIH and at the moment she informed us about accepting this job, the FIH released her from all her duties.'
Hockey will still have an important place in the heart of Coghen. ÔÇÿOrganizing hockey events in the past years and being part of the FIH gave me a lot of experience', Coghen stated. ÔÇÿThis will help me a lot. I would like to thank the FIH President Els van Breda Vriesman for giving me confidence and her support over the almost 25 years we know each other.'
