By Nick Butler at The Hilton in Buenos Aires

John Coates was speaking after being elected as vice-president of the IOCSeptember 10 - Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) chief John Coates has insisted that his priorities remain unchanged following his election to the position of vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the final day of the 125th IOC Session here this afternoon.

Coates, an IOC member since 2001 and is also President of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), was elected unopposed to one of the four vice-president positions, a role in which he will now serve a four-year term. 

However, he refused to rest on his laurels following his appointment, and used his victory speech to explain how his priorities remain the fight against doping and match-fixing in sport.

His other immediate focus involves the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, with Coates being one of several senior IOC officials to have expressed concerns about the behind-schedule preparations for the Games.

"I will be stepping up now and will be given new tasks by the new President and we'll see where that takes me," he said.

"Our biggest challenge is Rio.

"There is a little over two years to go and there is still so much work to be done.

"We are all concerned, it is not impossible, but they desperately need a more concerted effort with some of the infrastructure projects and venues."

Coates, who will remain as the head of both CAS and the AOC alongside his IOC vice-presidency duties, also claimed that newly elected IOC President Thomas Bach is the right man for the job.

"He'll bring great vision and he'll bring great leadership," Coates said.