John Coates has retained the Australian Olympic Committee presidency, defeating challenger Danni Roche in Saturday’s election.

Coates won the vote 58-35 at the AOC annual general meeting held inside the Federation Hall of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney (the same building as the AOC’s HQ) to keep the presidency he has held since 1990.

The announcement was made about 10.15am (AEST) and was described as a “landslide” victory, reportedly due to Coates’ final few days of lobbying voters.

There was loud applause as the result was announced and afterwards Mr Coates briefly thanked members for their support.

John Coates has been re-elected President of the AOC.

READ: https://t.co/bO9dWtN0gU pic.twitter.com/zlsFcZJjxp

— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) May 6, 2017

“Thank you very much for the confidence that you have shown in me,” Coates told the meeting.

He will also retain his International Olympic Committee vice-presidency as a result of winning the vote.

Later on Saturday he spoke to the media, admitting “the brand has been damaged” after a bitter election campaign which included claims of widespread bullying within the AOC.

Coates now faces the task of uniting a split Olympic movement. 

“I think that’s easily repairable as we focus on these teams that are going away. That’s what our executive should be focused on.

“We’ve got a very good executive, no complaints there, and I’m hoping that the Olympic membership, having experienced this, will come together and that will be the good coming out of it,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Roche said that whilst the AOC’s members didn’t vote for a change in president, “the past six weeks marks a pivotal moment in Australian sport”.

She later sent her congratulations to him via social media.

Congratulations to John Coates on his re-election as AOC President. I wish the entire @AUSOlympicTeam every success in the future #AOCvotes

— Danni Roche OAM (@danniroche1) May 6, 2017

The 66-year-old’s tenure as president will now stretch to three decades with Coates previously signalling he will step aside after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Coates is synonymous with Australia’s Olympics, rapidly rising through AOC ranks from rowing’s section manager at the 1976 Games to a six-time chef de mission, before the presidency.

Coates addressed the annual general meeting for more than 30 minutes.

AOC President John Coates embraces Danni Roche after he retains presidency winning the vote during the AOC meeting on Saturday. Photo: AAP

But he didn’t refer to the challenge from Roche, an Olympic hockey gold medallist who gained traction campaigning to lower the AOC’s running costs and divert more funds to athletes.

Roche targeted Coates’ $715,000 a year salary, which is now expected to be reviewed.

On Friday, Roche said she could mop up bad blood and unite an Olympic cause and could mend an Olympic family split by a bitter campaign.

Roche had stopped short of confidence of winning Saturday’s vote.

“The vote will be very, very close … it will come down to the wire,” she told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

AOC independent workplace reviews

Coates and the AOC executive have also agreed to independent reviews into the AOC’s workplace practices after claims of bullying.

Long-time AOC media director Mike Tancred, a staunch Coates ally, has stood down from his role pending the outcome of a bullying claim against him by former AOC chief executive Fiona de Jong.

De Jong, who left the AOC last December, also outlined a dozen cases of alleged workplace bullying since 2004 in the AOC.

Earlier, John Coates delivered an address as incumbent president, but the AOC refused Danni Roche’s request to speak to the AGM before the vote.

—with AAP/ABC