Allyson Felix wins athlete election at Paris Olympics to join IOC as a member

PARIS (AP) — Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix won an election Thursday to represent athletes at the IOC for the next eight years.

Three of the four newly elected athlete members are women, including Australian canoeist Jessica Fox, a double Olympic medalist in Paris, and Kim Bui, a member of the Germany gymnastic team who wore unitards at the Tokyo Olympics in a protest against the “sexualization” of female uniforms in the sport.

Fourth place in the vote by 6,576 athletes at the Paris Olympics went to Marcus Daniell, the New Zealand tennis player who won a bronze medal in men's doubles at Tokyo three years ago.

Felix, the now-retired United States sprinting great, topped the poll with support from 2,880 of her peers, the International Olympic Committee said.

Each of the athlete members gets an eight-year term on the International Olympic Committee. The big decisions they will be involved with include picking hosts for the 2036 and 2040 editions of the Summer Games.

“My biggest goal is to hear, and take some time to listen to what is going on,” Felix said.

Athletes are eligible as election candidates if they competed in the current or previous Olympics. Felix competed in her fifth Summer Games at Tokyo three years ago. She won medals on each trip to the Olympics, including a gold in the 4x400-meter relay in her farewell.

The winners from a slate of 29 candidates will replace four outgoing athlete members who all were elected at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva, who holds the women's pole vault world record, is among the outgoing members.

The IOC has a maximum of 115 members, which includes 16 athletes as well as members of royal families in Europe and Asia, a head of state — the Emir of Qatar — former heads of government, sports officials, former Olympic athletes and an Oscar-winning actor, Michelle Yeoh.

Felix and Fox already were IOC-appointed members of the Olympic athletes commission, where the American pushed for a progressive landmark at the Paris Games: A nursery at the athletes' village where parent-athletes could spend time with their children.

That project was one of her “wildest dreams” on getting involved in Olympic politics, Felix said Thursday, ”inspired by coming back to competition with my daughter."

“It moved very quickly. I thought, maybe LA and they were like ‘Maybe we can make this happen in Paris.’ That was really encouraging,” Felix said. The 38-year-old American is an advisor on athlete issues for organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Fox's election gives Australia an extra Olympic voice ahead of the Brisbane Summer Games in 2032, when her IOC term is set to expire.

The four new athlete members will swear the Olympic oath in Paris on Saturday.

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Olympian Allyson Felix speaks to the media during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Jessica Fox of Australia celebrates with the gold medal during the medals ceremony for the women's canoe single finals at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Olympian Allyson Felix speaks to the media, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

LANGLEY, British Columbia (AP) — Stephen Peat, the former Washington Capitals enforcer who fought concussion issues and was homeless at times after leaving hockey, has died from injuries sustained late last month when he was struck by a car while crossing a street. He was 44.

“The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that Stephen Peat has passed away from his injuries after a tragic accident just over two weeks ago,” the NHL Alumni Association said in a statement Thursday announcing the death Thursday.

Without identifying Peat at the time of the Aug. 30 accident, Langley police said a 44-year-old pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck while crossing a road at about 4:15 a.m.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Peat had eight goals, two assists and 234 penalty minutes in 130 NHL games. He was drafted 32nd overall by Anaheim in 1998, then traded to Washington in June 2000 after finishing his junior career.

In 2004-05, he played seven games for the notorious Danbury Trashers in the United Hockey League, assisting on a goal and piling up 45 penalty minutes. He last played professional hockey in the 2006-07 season, appearing in one game for Albany in the American Hockey League.

FILE - Washington Capitals' Stephen Peat, facing camera, punches Pittsburgh Penguins' Krzysztof Oliwa of Poland as linesman Dan McCourt attempts to break it up during the first period in Pittsburgh, Dec. 21, 2001.(AP Photo/Gary Tramontina, File)

FILE - Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jay McKee (74) tries to avoid a stick-check by Washington Capitals right-winger Stephen Peat (51) as he skates up ice during the first period at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y., Sept. 17, 2005. (AP Photo/Don Heupel, File)