USA Track & Field – News – Hersh leads VP vote; Americans earn IAAF committee spots

DAEGU, South Korea – USATF Board member Robert Hersh led the voting as one of four IAAF vice presidents while three more Americans were elected to IAAF posts during the recently concluded IAAF Congress.

The Congress took place this week in the run-up to the 2011 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships, which run August 27-Sept. 4 in Daegu.

A longtime USATF board member and IAAF Council member, Hersh was re-elected as an IAAF vice president, leading the vote with 175 ballots. Second in voting was Qatari Athletics President Dahlan Jumaan Al-Hamad with 171, former British middle-distance world record holder and Olympic gold medalist Sebastian Coe was third with 169, and pole vault World record holder Sergey Bubka of Ukraine took the fourth and final vice president spot with 159.

David Katz led the voting to remain on the IAAF Technical Committee; 12 committee members were elected in a field of 28 candidates. Anne Timmons was second in balloting among 18 candidates, earning one of eight Women's Committee spots, and Rex Harvey claimed one of eight Masters Committee positions as the fourth-highest vote getter in a field of 15.

"The USA Track & Field board of directors was very strategic in putting forth who they felt were our strongest candidates in these committee races," said USATF Interim CEO Mike McNees. "We are proud of Bob, David, Anne and Rex for being elected to these posts and thank all of our candidates in all the races for their efforts and commitment to our sport."

For full IAAF election results, visit www.iaaf.org

About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track & field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the World's #1 Track & Field Team, the most-watched events at the Olympics, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States: www.usatf.org.

Jill Geer
USA Track & Field
Chief Public Affairs Officer
508-520-1529
Jill.Geer@usatf.org