By Gary Anderson

November 15 - Double Olympic champion Malcolm Page is the new ISAF Athletes' Commission chairman © Getty Images Australian double Olympic champion Malcolm Page has been elected chairman of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) Athletes' Commission at the ISAF Annual Conference in Muscat.

Page will be supported by another two-time Olympic gold medal winner, Sarah Gosling of Great Britain, who takes up the vice-president's position after fellow sailors completed their voting at the Al Bandar Hotel in the Omani capital.

In August of this year, Page and Gosling were announced as two of eight sailors elected to the Commission, which also includes Olympic and world champion Xu Lijia of China, Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Fernanda Oliveira of Brazil, former European 49er champion Yann Rocherieux of France and Dutchman Pieter-Jan Postma.

Beijing 2008 silver medallist Marcelien de Koning and American windsurfer Ben Barger are also on the Commission and along with Page will be serving second four-year terms on the body.

Between them, the members of the Athletes' Commission hold eight Olympic medals, five of them gold and 11 World Championship titles.

Page won gold medals in the 470 class at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 with partner Matt Belcher, who picked up the ISAF Sailor of the Year award earlier this week.

"I was involved in the Athletes' Commission for the previous Olympiad up to the London Olympics," said 41-year-old Page.

"I was very excited during that period to see the focus starting to shift and the walls being broken down and the athletes more in the focal point of the officials in our sport.

"For me it was a great opportunity to get my hands dirty and get more involved and help our sport go forward, to make it grander and to make it ready for the future."

Page (right) won 470 class gold with partner and ISAF Sailor of the Year Matt Belcher at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 © Getty Images Page (right) won 470 class gold with partner and ISAF Sailor of the Year Matt Belcher at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 ©Getty Images

























The role of the Commission is to act as a link between active Olympic sailors and the ISAF and its remit allows it to elect members to sit on Events, Equipment and Race Officials Committees as well as receiving invites to Working Parties considering Olympic sailing matters, and selection of ISAF World Championships venues.

The new chairman is looking forward to his role and believes that the knowledge and experience of his colleagues on the Commission will help to make a difference for sailors going forward.

"We've got four men, four women," said Page.

"We have four people from Europe and the other four from all around the world, Asia, North and South America and Oceania.

"It's an incredible step forward from our traditional point of view and not only that I think the quality of people that are there are A class, they're enthusiastic and keen to get involved.

"And there's five [Olympic] gold medals involved in those people as well which shows that those people who have made it to the top of our sport are willing to get involved in the day to day operations and decisions that will forge it for the future."

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