Tony Mitchell elected new Oceania Cycling Confederation President
The Oceania Cycling Confederation (OCC) members elected New Zealand’s Tony Mitchell unopposed as President for a four-year term (2021-2025), at the 2021 OCC Virtual Congress and Annual General Meeting, held on March 26, 2021. The position also sees Mitchell automatically appointed to the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) Management Committee.
Member nations also elected Tracey Gaudry (Australia), Patrick Keenan (Fiji), Eric Tydingco (Guam) and Anne Gripper (Australia) as members of the OCC Executive Committee for the same four-year term.
With 20 years of management experience in the corporate world, and nearly 10 years of governance experience in cycling at national and international level positions, Mitchell will lead the OCC in its next phase of growth. Mitchell has served on the OCC Executive Board as Vice President since January 2016, and has been a member of the Cycling New Zealand Board since May 2013, and served as Chair since April 2017. In addition to his national and continental roles, he was elected to the UCI Management Committee in September 2017 and currently serves as President of the Mass Participation & Advocacy Commission, and is a member of the Track Commission, Cycling Economy and Marketing Commission and Audit and Finance Committee.
Mitchell said, “The OCC has a clear vision for developing cycling across all federations and to expand our member base, at the core of which is enabling and inspiring people to ride. I look forward to working with all federations and my fellow executive members to bringing this vision to life.”
“I also extend my thanks to the OCC to outgoing President, Tracey Gaudry, for her leadership over the last eight years. During her time as President the OCC saw unprecedented growth in membership, enacted significant development activities in the Pacific Island nations, strengthened governance, grew Oceania representation across the UCI, built and sustained a strong financial base, enhanced the existing Oceania Championships and introduced new Oceania Championship and UCI sanctioned events, and improved the OCC’s brand and presence.”
Oceania Cycling Championships Suspended for another Year
At its first meeting, the new OCC Executive Committee made the difficult decision to not hold any Oceania Championships in 2021. However, planning has already begun on a longer-term calendar of championship and international calendar events for the region with negotiations well underway to conduct a festival style multi-discipline continental championships in the coming years.
Solidarity Underpinning Ongoing Development in the Pacific
Despite the limitations brought about by COVID-19, development projects carrying over from 2020 are still progressing in most member countries. Planning is also well underway for 2021 Solidarity-backed projects with a two-pronged approach focussing on the staging of the Pacific Cup to facilitate athlete pathway opportunities, supported by increased investment in on-line education programs at the grassroots level.