The World Athletics Veteran pin is an honour bestowed on individual whose exceptional, loyal and outstanding service and contribution has provided a measurable benefit to the sport of athletics over an extended period of time.
The World Athletics Congress has bestowed the Veteran Pin on three (3) worthy recipients from Oceania in 2023:
Françoise TERIIEROOITERAI – Federation d’Athletisme de polynesie francaise
Francoise has been a long time member of the Federation and was a member of the Council of PYF for a number of years. Prior to her time on the PYF Council she was an athlete for the Federation. Françoise was also the President of her Athletic Club, Tefana.
Françoise was the Team Manager for PYF in 2007 at the South Pacific Games in Samoa and again in 2009 at the South Pacific Mini Games in the Cook Islands.
Françoise has been an active Technical Official for more than 30 years and continues to officiate at club meets in Tahiti. She is also active with Masters Athletics in Tahiti. She remains an active coach in the Federation and continues to support athletes as an active coach.
Francoise has represented PYF at a number of Oceania Athletics Association Congresses over more than 15 years and remains a solid supporter of Oceania Athletics’ activities. In 2012, Francoise was a member of the Local Organising Committee when the Oceania Championships were conducted in Papeete, Tahiti.
Francoise received an Oceania Athletics Association, Merit Award in 2009 for her services to the Area, and it is fitting that she now receives a World Athletics Veteran Pin.
Selwyn WILLIAMS – Fiji
Selwyn Williams has been a long-time volunteer of Athletics Fiji. He was awarded the Oceania Athletics Association Merit Award in 2002.
Since that time Selwyn has continued to act as Athletics Fiji’s Administration Officer in the first instance in a voluntary capacity and at various times in a professional capacity, a position he continues to fill today.
Selwyn has been a mainstay in Athletics Fiji and was instrumental in ensuring that the Federation, bid for and was successful in procuring the Oceania Melanesian Championships in 2016 and the Oceania Championships in 2017. On both occasions, Selwyn was a member of the Local Organising Committee and was the conduit between Oceania Athletics Association and Athletics Fiji.
Selwyn was a triple jumper and sprinter and was a regular participant in the weekly competitions. He later became the Treasurer of Athletics Fiji for several years. Selwyn was also a technical official at the 1987 and 1995 South Pacific Games. In 1987 he was the team manager to the IAAF World Cup Marathon in South Korea, in 2004 he was the Fiji team Manager to the World Championships in Paris.
During his involvement with Athletics Fiji, Selwyn has been a member of the management a many of the Athletics Fiji teams that have attended the South Pacific and Pacific Games.
Selwyn continues to be a faithful servant to the sport of Athletics in Fiji and the broader Oceania Area, and it is fitting that she now receives a World Athletics Veteran Pin.
Kevan GOSPER – Australia
Kevan Gosper has an international reputation in sport and business. Born and schooled in Australia he is a graduate of Michigan State University (USA). Kevan is an Olympic Silver (Melbourne 1956) and Commonwealth Gold (Vancouver 1954) and Bronze medallist (Vancouver 1954 and Cardiff 1958). He was Captain of the 1958 Commonwealth Games team in Cardiff and the 1960 Olympic Games Athletics Team in Rome. He was also General Manager of the first Papua New Guinea team at the Commonwealth Games in Perth (1962). He captained the Athletics team at Michigan State University and was awarded the “Big Ten” Universities medal for sport and scholarship. He is a former Commonwealth Games and National record holder over 400 metres and National 400m Champion from 1956 through 1960.
A member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1977; he subsequently served as an Executive Board Member and Vice President for sixteen years (1986 – 2003) and was Chief of the IOC Press Commission for twenty five years (1989-2013). He is a former President of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (1989 – 2009), Honorary Chairman of the Oceania Australia Foundation since 2007, served as Deputy Chairman of the IOC Co-ordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and was also a Vice President of the Organising Committee for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. He was Inaugural Chairman of the Australian Institute of Sport (1980-85), President of the Australian Olympic Committee (1985-1990) and continued to serve on its Executive Board until 2013, being awarded Life Membership for both entities. He is a Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame since 1989, Patron of Deaf Sports Australia and Australian University Sport. President of OSFO (Organisation of Sports Federations of Oceania) since 2013, Chairman and member of a number of Commissions in the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and as well a member of the Ethics Commission of World Athletics.
From 1980 to 1993 Kevan was Chairman and Chief Executive of Shell Australia in Melbourne and later Royal Dutch Shell’s Co-ordinator for its Asia Pacific operations out of London. The other positions he has held include Chief Commissioner (Mayor) of the City of Melbourne and Chairman of the National Australia Day Council and Director of a number of national corporations. He is a recipient of the Order of Australia and has also been equally honoured by France, The Netherlands, Spain, Monaco, Senegal, Togo, Solomons and Vanuatu. He was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000, is the inaugural recipient of the U S Olympic Committee’s Olive Branch Achievement Award in 2009 and the Olympic Order in 2013.
