Cross’s first involvement with the Olympics came through his role as a broadcaster and he commentated on some of the great moments of New Zealand sport, including the Olympic gold medals won by Norman Read, Peter Snell and Murray Halberg. He became an IOC member in 1969, the seventh from New Zealand, and was elected to the executive board in 1979. He became involved in protracted negotiations on television rights and the admission of China, as well as the unsuccessful moves to have New Zealand banned from the Montreal Olympics. He was also an advocate of the Olympics being based permanently in Greece. Cross in 1980 was an early candidate for the IOC presidency but withdrew his bid and supported the eventual winner, Juan Antonio Samaranch. Cross was chairman of the New Zealand Olympic Committee from 1967 to 1980 and later president. He had also been an Olympic selector for nearly 20 years. Cross was knighted for his services to sport. Return to the Inductee list