This week in Lausanne, the “Voice of Athletes”, the IOC Athletes’ Commission meets for the first time in its new composition since the elections at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Frank Fredericks makes his debut as new Chairman.
Competent and motivated team
Fredericks, who won silver in the 100m and 200m sprints at both the 1992 Games in Barcelona and in Atlanta in 1996 said after today’s Commission meeting with the IOC Executive Board: “It is great to see that my colleagues also have lots of energy off the sports field. We have ambitious plans to bring the athletes’ voice right to the heart of the Olympic Movement – be that directly related to the Olympic Games or on topics like the education of athletes, the promotion of women in sport and Sport for All. It was great to have such a competent and motivated team around the table, and I am looking forward to us working together in the years to come. For 2009, one of our most important projects will be the organisation of the 4th International Athletes’ Forum, to be held end of May in Marrakech.”
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Records off the track in Beijing
[/b]The IOC Athletes’ Commission election in Beijing saw record participation: 7,830 athletes – 71.6 per cent of all eligible voters compared with 54.5 per cent for Athens 2004 – submitted their voting forms in the three Olympic villages of the 2008 Games. Among the 29 candidates from as many countries, they chose four different athletes from four different sports. The members, elected for a term of eight years, were:
Dae-Sung Moon (Republic of Korea, taekwondo), Alexander Popov (Russian Federation, swimming), Claudia Bokel(Germany, fencing) and Yumilka Ruiz–Luaces (Cuba, volleyball). The four will also serve as IOC members.
Balance between regions, genders and sports
To ensure a balance between regions, genders and sports, Barbara Kendall (New Zealand, windsurfing), Yaping Deng (China, table tennis) and Pedro Yang (Guatemala, badminton) have been appointed to the Commission by IOC President Jacques Rogge. The former Chairman, Sergey Bubka, and his former Vice-Chairman, Prince Albert of Monaco, will keep close links to the Commission as Members of Honour. The next additions to the IOC Athletes’ Commission are scheduled for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, where two new members will be elected in the same way as in Beijing.
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List of the members of the Athletes’ Commission
Learn more about the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission[/LEFT]
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