Morinari Watanabe, the president of the International Gymnastics Federation, was elected a member of the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday.
The 59-year-old Watanabe, who became FIG's first Asian president in January last year, was voted in at the IOC session taking place in Buenos Aires at the same time as the Youth Olympic Games. He becomes the 14th Japanese to become an IOC member.
(Morinari Watanabe)
Watanabe was one of nine new members along with International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons.
IOC members are elected for eight-year terms that can be renewed. Watanabe is Japan's second active IOC member, joining Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda.
