The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is mourning the death of Kevan Gosper AO, a distinguished and influential figure in the Olympic Movement. Gosper, aged 90, passed away on the morning of 19 July after a short illness.
IOC President Thomas Bach expressed his deep condolences, stating: “Kevan Gosper was highly influential in the Olympic Movement, which he deeply loved. He served for decades as an IOC Member and for many years on the IOC Executive Board. I had the privilege of working closely with him. He was always full of energy and very determined. With his great communication skills, he often served as a spokesperson for the IOC.”
Gosper’s illustrious career spanned multiple decades and was marked by significant achievements.
An Olympic silver medallist at Melbourne 1956 in the Australian 4x400m relay team, he also went on to compete at the Olympic Games Rome 1960. In addition to these Olympic accolades, he also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver (1954). Gosper’s dominance in track and field was evident, as he held the Australian national record for the 400 metres from 1955 to 1971.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Gosper made significant contributions to the Olympic Movement. He served as an IOC Member from 1977 to 2013, including two terms on the IOC Executive Board (1986-1990 and 1995-1999) and two terms as IOC Vice-President (1990-1994 and 1999-2003). As the Chairman of the IOC Press Commission from 1989 to 2013, he played a crucial role in shaping the organisation’s communication strategies. His dedication was recognised with the IOC’s Olympic Order in 2013, the same year he became an IOC Honorary Member.
Nationally, he served as the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President (1985-1990) and was a life member of the AOC. His leadership extended to the Oceania region, where he was the President of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) (1989-2009) and the Chairman of the Oceania Australia Foundation (2007-2024). He also led the Organisation of Sports Federations of Oceania (OSFO) from 2014 to 2024 and served as Vice-President of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Sydney 2000 (1993-2000).
His contributions to Australian sport included being the inaugural Chairman of the Australian Institute of Sport (1980-1985) and being inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989.
For his services, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1986, and was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000. Gosper also had a distinguished corporate career as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Shell Australia Limited (1980-1991) and Vice-Chairman of the Australia Trade Commission (1985-1991).
As a mark of respect, the IOC has lowered the flags to half-mast at Olympic House and the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. A minute’s silence will be held during the upcoming meeting of the IOC Executive Board.
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