Whoever said that small does not matter; that people from small islands of the Caribbean cannot hold lofty aspirations and achieve them?
Dreams do come true!
Wednesday 21 July 2021, would forever be a ‘red letter’ day for the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), as it is etched in the annals of global sporting history. It is the day, today, that Nicole Hoevertsz, of the small island of Aruba, was elected as the Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Recently elected to serve on the IOC’s Executive Board, Nicole, also a member of the Executive Board of Panam Sports (formerly Pan American Sports Organisation – PASO), expressed her appreciation for the support received from the IOC members gathered in Tokyo at the 138th IOC Session, on the eve of the Olympic Games, postponed by one year.
Hoevertsz, 57, takes the place vacated by American Anita De Franz, who served two four-year terms, the maximum allowed by IOC standards. Hoevertsz has been a member of the IOC Executive Board for the past four years.
She received 72 of a possible 79 votes in the IOC election, according to an Inside the Games report.
Her term on the Executive Board ends in 2025, at the same year that the IOC will be electing Thomas Bach‘s successor.
Hoevertsz is a former synchronized swimmer and has been part of the IOC since 2016 and her roles have continuously gotten bigger.