Four-time Olympian Tricia Smith re-elected as COC President

Eight elected to COC Board of Directors

TORONTO (May 1, 2021) – On Saturday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced that four-time Olympian and Olympic rowing silver medallist, Tricia Smith, was unanimously re-elected as President during the annual COC Session Meeting. The Session also elected eight directors to the board, including three new members.

Smith, a member of the Order of Canada, has served the COC for more than 35 years in various roles, including as Vice President, before being elected President for the first time in 2015. In 2016, she was elected a member of the IOC and in 2017 she was re-elected as President of the COC for another term. As President, Smith is Chair of the COC Board of Directors, among several other duties and responsibilities.

“It’s a tremendous privilege to have been re-elected President of the COC,” Smith said. “During the past five years we’ve reshaped our approach to governance, become certified as one of the Best Workplaces™ and Best Workplaces™ for Women in Canada, increased support to our member sports, brought on new partners while maintaining existing ones, increased our direct to athlete support and grown our relationship with the IOC, our region and the broader international community. 

“Looking forward, there is much to be excited about, including back-to-back Games that will bring the world together and provide much needed inspiration for people around the globe. There are challenges to be sure, but challenges also bring opportunities to think differently and to do things differently. I am proud of how the COC and the broader sport community have embraced those challenges together. Sport brings people together like nothing else and can be such a positive force in making our world better.” 

Among other distinguished international roles and commissions, Smith is a member of the Panam Sports Executive Committee, ANOC Executive, the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) and serves as Vice President of the International Rowing Federation (FISA). She is also a successful business owner and lawyer.

“I have had the privilege of working closely with Tricia as we strive to be among the world’s leading National Olympic Committees,” COC CEO and Secretary General, David Shoemaker said. “Tricia’s commitment to the Olympic Movement and belief in the power of sport are an inspiration to us all. Her experience as an athlete, understanding of the complexities of international sport, and commitment to values-based leadership make her an excellent leader for the complicated time we’re in. We are incredibly fortunate to have Tricia in this role.”

The three new members of the COC Board of Directors are Saad Rafi, Jaqui Parchment and Ian Clarke. Returning members of the board are Chris Clark, Marie-Huguette Cormier, Hubert Lacroix, Mark Tewksbury and Karen Rubin. You can read more about the COC Board of Directors here.

Outgoing members include Peter Lawless, Therese Brisson and Maureen Kempston Darkes.

“I would like to express my deepest thanks to our outgoing members for their unparalleled dedication to the work of the COC and the Olympic Movement,” Smith said. “It has been an enormous privilege to work with each of them.

“It’s also my pleasure to congratulate and welcome the new and returning members of the board. I am looking forward to working together in the years ahead.”

Earlier on Saturday, six Class B (General Members) positions were acclaimed, and a new cohort of Olympic Supporters – non-voting individuals who have a strong and active interest in the Olympic Movement – were appointed. 

The COC is governed by a large group of volunteers gathered from all areas of the nation and united by a common interest in sport and the Olympic Movement. Currently, the COC membership comprises more than 3,500 voting and non-voting members spread over the three levels of Governance. All board members are also volunteers. 

Information on the COC’s governance structure can be found here. 

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