Lausanne, Oct 29, 2014: It is with great sadness that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learned of the death of Sir Tennant Edward (Tay) Wilson KNZM, OBE, aged 89.
Sir Tay joined the IOC in 1988 and served on the New Sources of Financing Commission (1989-1993) and Finance Commission (1994-2006).
He became an IOC honorary member in 2006.
“Sir Tay was a man full of passion for sport. He believed strongly in the integrity of sport, and spent most of his life working to protect it,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “The entire Olympic Movement will miss him. We express our deepest sympathies to the family of Tay Wilson and the Olympic community in New Zealand.”
During his long career in the Olympic Movement, he held numerous positions: Chef de Mission at the Games of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow in 1980, Deputy Chef de Mission at the Games of the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles in 1984, Secretary General of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association, member of the Association of National Olympic Committees Executive Commission (1989-1993; 1996-2000), Chairman of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) Finance Commission (1985-1993), and ONOC Secretary General (1989-1993).
He was also President of the New Zealand Pierre de Coubertin Committee, President of the Pierre de Coubertin Institute, and Life Member of the Special Olympics of New Zealand Foundation.
His work with the Olympic Movement was the crowning achievement of a life-long passion for sport. A rowing champion in his early years, he became New Zealand double sculls junior champion in 1959. Besides rowing, he was also fond of many other sports, such as swimming, hockey, golf and badminton. The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Sir Tay’s family. —- IOC
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