UPDATE1: Olympics: Murofushi prevented from joining IOC's Athletes Commission.

LONDON, Aug. 11 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH IOC ANNOUNCEMENT)

The International Olympic Committee announced Saturday the four people elected to the IOC's Athletes' Commission, confirming that Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi's election will be invalidated after he was judged to have violated election campaign rules.

Murofushi was not among the four new members of the athletes' commission unveiled by the IOC, sources familiar with the issue said, adding another one of the four elected members was also determined to have violated rules, moving up the fifth and sixth top-vote getters.

Murofushi, who was warned twice for campaigning outside areas designated by the IOC, made his case before the IOC on Friday. Murofushi was among the top four elected from the 21 candidates, but the IOC decided not to recognize his election result, they said.

The results were initially scheduled to be announced on Thursday, but the IOC delayed the announcement, citing a "procedural matter."

The commission is composed of 12 athletes elected to eight years by the athletes participating in the Olympic Games. The commission serves as a consultative body and is the link between active athletes and the IOC.

Murofushi, who won the bronze medal in London and was the Athens Olympic gold medalist, was nominated as a candidate to the IOC's Athletes' Commission at the Beijing Games but was not elected.

Murofushi, who if elected could also have served as an IOC member, had been seen as Japan's poster boy to help in its bid to host the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but the election annulment will likely be a damaging blow for Tokyo's campaign.

According to IOC sources, Murofushi violated rules by campaigning in the Athletes' Village's dining area, where he handed out stickers that included his name, and was photographed making contact with athletes from other countries.