FEATURE

Paralympian Duane Kale appointed to 2024 Olympic Evaluation Committee

By Paralympics New Zealand

New Zealand Paralympian and Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) board member Duane Kale has been appointed by IOC President Bach to the Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.
 
Duane will be joined on the Commission by New Zealand Olympic Committee Secretary General and CEO Kereyn Smith.
 
Duane will bring an incredibly valuable perspective to the Committee as both a highly successful Paralympian and outstanding sports administrator.
 
He represented New Zealand at the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Games winning four gold, two bronze medals and setting a new world record. In 2013 Duane was appointed as a governing board member of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), he is a current board member of PNZ and was the New Zealand Paralympic team Chef de Mission at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Paralympic Games.

This appointment further demonstrates PNZ’s position as a leader on the world stage.


Duane Kale at Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games as a torchbearer. Photo courtesy of Paralympics New Zealand

Last year PNZ Board member Mark Copeland was appointed to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Legal and Ethics Committee and Secretary General of the Oceania Paralympic Committee in 2013. He is joined by Marguerite Christophers (PNZ Classification Manager) as a member of the ITU Para-Triathlon Committee and ITU Para-Triathlon Scientific Research Group. Paralympians Tim Prendergast and Michael Johnson were both appointed as representatives for their fellow athletes as an appointed member of the IPC Athletes Council and the Athlete Liaison Officer for IPC Shooting respectively.
 
Duane Kale said, “I am thrilled to be elected to the 2024 Evaluation Commission and I look forward to working to provide the best possible competition environment for all athletes in 2024 in order to experience the feeling of victory and achieving success.” He continues, “I believe the appointment of both Kereyn and myself will ensure that New Zealand and the Oceania Region is well positioned to contribute to, and have a significant impact within the future of both Olympic and Paralympic sport.”