Four athletes were elected for eight-year terms to the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the IOC said at the Olympic Village on Thursday.

Men's 110-meter hurdles world and Olympic champion Liu Xiang, under huge expectations from home fans, failed to win one of the four spots available, two days after his tragic withdrawal from the 110-meter hurdles heat due to injury.

Taekwondo player Moon Dae-sung of South Korea, retired swimmer Alexander Popov of Russia, volleyball player Yumilka Ruiz Luaces of Cuba and German fencer Claudia Bokel were voted to the positions by athletes competing at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Moon received the most votes of 3,220 from a total of 7,216 valid ballots, which accounts for 70 percent of the athletes in the Olympic Villages in Beijing, Hong Kong and Qingdao, as well as at the football sites.

Liu came eighth with 1,386 votes.

The election was held over the past 15 days and athletes were asked to pick four from 29 candidates. Each athlete could cast four votes but for four different athletes, from four different sports.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2008)