The Italian National Olympic Committee has elected a new president to replace Giovanni Malagò. The winner is Luciano Buonfiglio, president of the Italian Canoe and Kayak Federation, who secured the absolute majority required. Forty-one votes were needed, and Buonfiglio obtained forty-seven. His main rival Luca Pancalli, received thirty-four votes. Luciano Buonfiglio, seventy-four years old and the first Neapolitan to be president of CONI, was an Italian champion multiple times, competing in five world championships and the 1976 Montreal Olympics throughout a 12-year career that spanned 1968 to 1980. "We must be aware", he stated, "that we represent millions of athletes, and it is our responsibility to always keep this in mind. Sport is not solely about competition; it also serves as a vehicle for education and culture. I’m obsessed with being worthy of the people I represent".