By Duncan Mackay

Norway's six-time Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjørndalen is among the nine candidates standing for election to the IOC Athletes CommissionAugust 16 - There will be nine candidates seeking two spots on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission at Sochi 2014, it has been announced.


They are headed by Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen, winner of 11 Olympic medals, including six gold. 

Ice hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser, Canada's goaltender in their last three Olympics where they have claimed gold, is also standing. 

EA Sports last year chose Wickenheiser to be among two of the first female hockey "Legends" in their game NHL 13.

She appears long with Angela Ruggiero, the American defenseman who has played against Wickenheiser in the last four Olympics, including Nagano where the Americans won and the Canadians had to settle for silver, and who was voted on to the IOC Athletes Commission at Vancouver in 2010, along with Britain's skeleton rider Adam Pengilly.

Canada's Hayley Wickenheiser celebrates her third consecutive Olympic gold medal at Vancouver 2010 and is hoping to be elected to the IOC Athletes CommissionCanada's Hayley Wickenheiser celebrates her third consecutive Olympic gold medal at Vancouver 2010 and is hoping to be elected to the IOC Athletes Commission

Another multiple Olympic medallist standing is 38-year-old Italian cross country skier Pietro Piller-Cottrer, who has won four medals, including gold in the 4x10 kilometres at Turin 2006.

The candidates also include Switzerland's Didier Cuche, winner of an Olympic silver medal in the Super-G at Nagano in 1998 and four World Championship medals, including gold at Val d'Isère in 2009. 

The 38-year-old Cuche twice won the Swiss Sports Personality of the Year, in 2009 and 2011, before retiring last year. 

Other athletes seeking election who have won Olympic medals are Belarusian biathlete Darya Domracheva, winner of a bronze at Vancouver 2010; Finland's Tanja Poutiainen, silver medallist in the giant slalom at Turin 2006, and Czech Republic's Sarka Zahrobska, bronze medallist in the slalom at Vancouver 2010. 

Sarka Zahrobska, from the Czech Republic, is among the nine candidates seeking election to the IOC Athletes CommissionSarka Zahrobska, from the Czech Republic, is among the nine candidates seeking election to the IOC Athletes Commission

The other candidates include Bulgarian skier Kilian Albrecht and Croatian skier Ana Jelusic, 

The two athletes will replace Canadian cross country skier Beckie Scott and Finnish ice hockey player Saku Koivu, whose eight-year terms are due to come to an end, and will join the 19-member IOC Athletes Commission currently headed by Germany's Claudia Bokel. 

All candidates must have taken part in the Vancouver 2010 or be taking part in Sochi 2014 Games.

All athletes participating at Sochi 2014 will be eligible to vote.

They will be asked to elect two candidates from two different sports to ensure a varied representation from the Olympic sports programme.

Voting offices will be set up in each of the three Olympic Villages.

The IOC will be hoping that this election avoids the controversy of the one held during London 2012 when two of the four candidates elected - Taiwanese taekwondo player Mu-yen Chu and Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi - were disqualified after allegedly breaking campaign rules.

Both atheltes appealed unsuccessfully to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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