The Deaflympics has a new man at the top. Valery Rukhledev of Russia will become the ninth president of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf. Rukhledev received 39 votes while the UK's Craig Crowley, who has held the position for the past four years, received 33 votes. The vote took place in Sofia, Bulgaria where the summer games are taking place. The two men ran against each other for the same position four years ago during the games in Tapei, Taiwan. Rukhledev holds six gold medals in wrestling and in 2001 was named one of the top ten greatest deaf athletes of the 20th century by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf. Rukhledev established the Russian Deaf Sports Union two decades ago.
