Moynihan elected to Euro Olympic executive committee

BRITISH Olympic Association chairman Colin Moynihan has been elected to the top table of decision making in the European Olympic Committees.

VOTE WINNER: Colin Moynihan was successfully elected to the executive committee of the European Olympic Committees in Lisbon (Getty Images)

The news follows the election of Craig Reedie to the International Olympic Committee's executive board in Copenhagen last month and means British administrators are well represented at sport's highest levels in the build up to London 2012.

Moynihan - who succeeded Reedie as BOA chairman in 2005 - was one of 19 candidates standing for 12 seats at the organisation's 38th annual assembly in Portugal and will serve an initial four-year term.

"I am delighted and it is a great honour to be elected to the EOC executive committee, particularly given the exceptional strength of the other candidates from across Europe," he said.

"A seat on the EOC Executive Committee represents a great opportunity for me to work with the 49 national Olympic Committees of Europe to help ensure their interests are well served both at the London Olympic Games and at all other Olympic accredited events.

"I am looking forward to working closely with colleagues from the national Olympic committees of Europe to create opportunities to grow Olympic sport and strengthen the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

"It's a particularly crucial time for Europe, with the 2012 and 2014 Olympic Games being hosted on our continent."

Ireland's Pat Hickey - who was beaten by Reedie to a place on the IOC executive board - was unanimously re-elected as president of the European Olympic Committees.