IOC Chief Named Most Influential Person in Sports Business

Jacques Rogge jumps 29 spots since previous list

The man who heads the International Olympic Committee that didn't select Chicago as the host of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games has been named the most influential person in the sports business.

In its 50-person list, the Sport Business Journal says it's what "Jacques Rogge didn't do for the American sports industry rather than what he did that shows the extent of his influence."

The selection of Rio and rejection of Chicago cost the U.S. sports industry hundreds — if not thousands — of jobs, $1.2 billion in sponsorship deals and approximately $250 million in U.S. media rights, the magazine writes in a post on its Web site.

The former Olympian also made the last last year, but jumped a whopping 29 places, the most of anyone on the list, to take the top spot.

Head over to SportsBusinessJournal.com for the complete list of the "50 Most Influential."

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