China's Li elected as IOC executive board member

PARIS, July 24 (Xinhua) -- China's Li Lingwei was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board here on Wednesday.

Li, a former world champion badminton player, joined the IOC's Olympic Program Commission in 2007 before becoming an IOC member in 2013.

"For me, it's a great honor as well as responsibility to serve on the IOC executive board," Li told Xinhua.

Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski of the Philippines was re-elected for a second term to the IOC executive board at the 142nd IOC session.

Also on Wednesday, Morocco's Nawal El Moutawakel and Argentina's Gerardo Werthein were elected as IOC vice presidents, whose terms of office will start on August 10 after the conclusion of the 142nd IOC Session, when the terms of John Coates and Ser Miang Ng come to an end.

Eight new IOC members - four women and four men - were also elected. The terms of office for six of them will begin immediately, while one will start at the end of the Paris Olympics and one on January 1, 2025.

Women now account for 42.3 percent of IOC members, with 47 women out of a total of 111 members.