14 Facts About Kevan Gosper

Richard Kevan Gosper, AO was an Australian athlete who mainly competed in the 400 metres.

Kevan Gosper was a Vice President of the International Olympic Committee, and combined Chairman and CEO of Shell Australia.

Kevan Gosper was nominated to the International Olympic Committee in 1977; was a vice president of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games.

Kevan Gosper was chief of the IOC Press Commission, deputy chairman of the IOC Co-ordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, chairman of Olympic Games Knowledge Services and president of the Oceania National Olympic Committees.

From 1980 to 1993 Kevan Gosper was chairman and chief executive of Shell Australia in Melbourne, and later head of Shell Asia Pacific operations out of London.

Kevan Gosper was a director of a number of Australian companies, including Crown Resorts, Visy and Lion Nathan.

In May 2000, Kevan Gosper was criticised after his daughter Sophie was made the first Australian torchbearer in a late change over the previously selected Greek-Australian Yianna Souleles.

At age 11, Sophie Kevan Gosper was too young by one year to carry the torch in Australia, but was invited by the Hellenic Olympic Committee to be the second carrier of the Olympic flame in Greece.

Kevan Gosper apologised days later due to public outrage, though he insisted he was not involved in the decision.

Kevan Gosper was accused of being an "apologist for dictators" after his criticism of pro-democracy protesters during the Beijing 2008 torch relay.

Kevan Gosper suggested that during the Olympic Torch Australian appearance Chinese para-military torch attendants could be called into action if Australian police were unable to cope with potential protests.

Kevan Gosper's remarks prompted a swift rebuke from Australian Attorney-General Robert McClelland.

Kevan Gosper was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 1986 Australia Day Honours for service to sport and sports administration, and was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1989.

Kevan Gosper received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for services to athletics and the Olympic movement, and was similarly honoured by France, the Netherlands, Spain, Monaco and Senegal and Solomon Islands.