Olympic gold medallist Danielle Roche has joined the Australian Sports Commission, filling a vacancy to become the fourth woman on the nine-member board.
The St Kilda football director and investment adviser joins the commission as the federal government's Winning Edge program moves towards the 2016 Rio Games and its first big test.
Roche, a former director of Hockey Australia and a trustee of Victoria's State Sports Centre, was a member of the victorious Hockeyroos team that won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She has endorsed the strategy that was put into place after athletes from Australia under-performed at the last Olympics in London.
"I've been in teams where the environment has not allowed athletes to reach their potential," said Roche, "and I've been in teams such as we were when Ric Charlesworth was in charge and saw how that potential could be reached.
"I really believe Winning Edge has provided that environment and in Rio hopefully we will be able to see a winning performance from our team."
The John Wylie-chaired ASC outlined its ambition after the London Olympics to place an emphasis on gender balance on sporting boards. Roche joins Alisa Camplin, Katherine Bates and Jennifer Morris on the commission.
"I'm really looking forward to working with John [Wylie] and the rest of the board," Roche said.
"I've heard how he's worked to improve the profile of women's sports ... The Sports Commission has delivered in sitting above and achieving what it's asking all the other sports boards to achieve."
