Spyros Capralos was among 10 new members elected at the Session ©IOC

The membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) swelled to beyond 100 after 10 officials were comfortably elected to the body at the Session here today.

An emotional Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) President Spyros Capralos became the first Greek member of the IOC since 2015 as the electorate grew to 105.

He is joined by Costa Rica's Laura Chinchilla, French-Ivorian banker Tidjane Thiam, Algeria's Mustapha Berraf, India's Narinder Batra, South Korean Kee Heung Lee, Indonesia's Erick Thohir, Ntsama Assembe Celestine Odette Epse Engoulou from Cameroon, Matlohang Moiloa-Ramoqopo of Lesotho and Filomena Maria Spencer Africano Fortes of Cape Verde.

None of the 10 latest members to be elected are on the body owing to their function as a member of an International Federation (IF).

IOC President Thomas Bach seemed to open the door for International Association of Athletics Federation head Sebastian Coe and FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino to become members next year.

Bach claimed they were not proposed among this batch as they were both facing re-election in 2019.

Infantino was re-elected unopposed last month, while Coe will be given a second four-year term prior to the IAAF World Championships in Doha in September and October as he is standing unopposed.

"Since we wanted to make this a well-balanced package, we came to the conclusion with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations that we are not proposing there any IF candidates here at this election but next year we will have a bigger number of IFs proposed," Bach said.

IOC President Thomas Bach opened the door for the heads of the IAAF and FIFA to be elected as members next year ©Getty Images
IOC President Thomas Bach opened the door for the heads of the IAAF and FIFA to be elected as members next year ©Getty Images

Capralos, warned by the IOC Ethics Commission following his link to black market ticket sales for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, received the most votes of any of the new members.

The former water polo player, who represented Greece at the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games in Moscow and Los Angeles respectively, claimed 60 votes with four against.

Capralos' election came after Athens was confirmed as the host city for the 2021 IOC Session.

Indian Olympic Association and International Hockey Federation head Narinder Batra, who was warned by his own governing body last year after he put an incendiary post on Facebook, was elected with 58 votes and four against.

Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa President Mustapha Berraf claimed 56 votes, while seven voted down his membership.

A total of 57 members voted in favour of electing Kee Heung Lee, President of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, with 57 votes.

The membership of the three officials is linked to their roles with their respective organisations, meaning they will relinquish their place on the IOC if they were replaced.

Capralos was one of seven officials granted individual member status by the Session.

Former Costa Rica President Chinchilla received 55 votes with six against, while Thohir, President of the Indonesian Olympic Committee and former owner of Serie A football club Inter Milan, earned 55 votes with eight against.

Thiam, chief executive of Swiss multinational investment bank Credit Suisse, claimed 59 votes, while five were not in favour of him becoming a member.

Engoulou, President of the Cameroon National Badminton Federation and vice-president of the Cameroon National Olympic and Sports Committee, was elected by a 51-12 majority and Lesotho National Olympic Committee Moiloa-Ramoqopo claimed 52 votes with 13 against.

Fortes, head of the Cape Verdean Olympic Committee, enjoyed a 56-8 majority.

All 10 were later sworn in as members after reciting the Olympic Oath.

The 10 new members were all sworn in at the Session after reciting the Olympic Oath ©IOC
The 10 new members were all sworn in at the Session after reciting the Olympic Oath ©IOC

Three members - Australia's John Coates, Executive Board member Uğur Erdener and Senegal's Mamadou Ndiaye - had their age limit deferred to allow them to remain as members.

Coates' term was extended until the end of 2024 "due to his important role as chair of the Legal Affairs Commission", while Erdener's roles as chairman of the Medical and Scientific Commission were cited as the reasons behind the decision to propose he stay on past the age of 70.

Ndiaye also received an extension until 2023 as long as he continues to be the President of the Senegal National Olympic & Sports Committee to help with preparations for the 2022 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.

The trio all received more than 10 votes against.

Argentina's Gerardo Werthein was re-elected to serve a fresh eight-year term.

Italy's Franco Carraro, Peru's Ivan Dibos, Guatemala's Willi Kaltschmitt Luján, Barbados' Sir Austin Sealy, Syria's Samih Moudallal and Nigeria's Habu Gumel were granted honorary membership along with North Korea's Ung Chang, who reached the age limit at the end of last year but was not eligible as he did not attend the IOC Session in Buenos Aires.