You're reading: Olympics-Deputy Prime Minister Zhukov elected Russian Olympic chief

MOSCOW, May 20 (Reuters) - Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov was elected president of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on Thursday after being endorsed by the Kremlin hierarchy.

He succeeds Leonid Tyagachyov, who resigned as ROC chief on March 3, two days after President Dmitry Medvedev ordered top sports officials to quit or be fired following the country’s worst ever showing at February’s Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Zhukov, a close ally of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, was the only candidate for the post after being nominated last month following a high-level meeting in the Kremlin.

Zhukov, who turns 54 next month, has been in charge of preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and also headed the Russian Chess Federation between 2003-09.

"Being elected (ROC chief) is a big honour but also a big responsibility," he told reporters, promising to implement drastic changes and appoint an executive director.

"My first task is to create a team of like-minded people to lead the Russian Olympic movement as we have to improve a lot of things here," he added.

"I have someone in mind for the executive director post but first we have to discuss the candidature at our board meeting."

Putin congratulated Zhukov on his election.
"Let’s wish him success and productive work," Putin told a meeting of government officials on Thursday.