Lausanne, Jul 18 (IANS): World Athletics President Sebastian Coe was one of five new IOC Board members whose membership has been approved by the International Olympic Committee.

The other four whose membership was approved at the 136th IOC Session -- the first-ever session to be held by video conference on Friday -- were ex-Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud - Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States - Cuban Olympic Committee (COC) Board member Maria de la Caridad Colon Ruenes and Battushig Batbold, Acting President of the Mongolian National Olympic Committee.

Coe, who will represent the World Athletics on the IOC, said in a statement: "As president of World Athletics I'm absolutely delighted to represent our sport in the Olympic movement as an IOC member."

"Thank you to all of you who voted for our sport, our federation today, and I look forward, our whole sport looks forward, to working even more closely with all of you in reforming and building all sports.

"At this time, of all times, the need for community and elite sport to thrive and flourish, has probably never been more important," he added.

Meanwhile, it was also announced at the Session that John D. Coates and Ser Miang Ng will replace Professor Ugur Erdener and Juan Antonio Samaranch as Vice-Presidents. Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski and Gerardo Werthein will replace Sergey Bubka, whose eight-year term on the IOC Board came to an end, and Miang Ng, whose four-year term came to an end and who was elected Vice-President.

"With 39 women on board – representing 37.5 per cent of its membership versus 21.3 per cent in 2013 – the Session has demonstrated the IOC's commitment to promoting gender equality within its leadership," IOC said in a statement.