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Londoner Jane Thornton has been named the International Olympic Committee’s new medical and scientific director.
The 45-year-old Canadian women’s rowing alum will manage the department’s strategic initiatives and foster active engagement on behalf of the IOC in the medicine and science realms. Thornton will start her role Sept. 1 and succeed Dr. Richard Budgett, who will retire in December after 12 years on the job.
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Dr. Thornton represented Canada as a rower for more than a decade, was a world champion in 2006 and competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
She had most recently been an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at Western University with cross appointments in the departments of epidemiology and biostatistics and the school of kinesiology.
Originally from New Brunswick, Thornton holds both a PhD from Western and an MD (doctor of medicine) from the University of Toronto with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.
She has served as president of the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine and editor of the British Journal of Sport and Exercise Medicine. She had medical/research roles at the Olympics in 2004 (Athens), 2014 (Sochi) and Rio (2016) and has worked with the International Ice Hockey Federation and World Rowing to deliver medical coverage at world championship events.
“Her specialization in long-term athlete health, female athlete health and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease will be valuable to further develop safeguarding and well-being initiatives for athletes, and to guide the IOC and the broader sports movement on health matters,” IOC director general Christophe De Kepper said.
Dr. Thornton will be based in Lausanne, Switzerland and report to IOC sports director Kit McConnell.
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