TOKYO (AP) Seiko Hashimoto has appeared in seven Olympics, four in the winter and three in the summer the most by any multi-season athlete in the games.

She made even more history on Thursday in Japan, where women are still rare in the boardrooms and positions of political power.

The 56-year-old Hashimoto was named president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee after a meeting of its executive board, which is 80% male. She replaces 83-year-old Yoshiro Mori, a former Japanese prime minister who was forced to resign last week after making sexist comments about women.

Essentially, he said women talk too much.

Now Im here to return what I owe as an athlete and to return back what I received, Hashimoto told the board, according to an interpreter.

Hashimoto had been serving as the Olympic minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. She also held a portfolio dealing with gender equality and womens empowerment. She said she would be replaced as Olympic minister by Tamayo Marukawa.