IOC Session wraps up meeting by electing new members

Earlier in the week, athletes competing in the Olympic Games Rio 2016 elected four athletes as Members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission for a term of eight years: Britta Heidemann from Germany (fencing), Seug-min Ryu from South Korea (table tennis), Daniel Gyurta from Hungary (swimming) and Yelena Isinbayeva from the Russian Federation (athletics). All four athletes were put forward by the IOC Executive Board (EB) for election by the IOC Session as IOC members and were elected today.

According to the IOC Athletes’ Commission regulations and upon the request of the IOC President, the IOC EB can propose to the Session, for election as IOC Member(s), up to three appointed members, in particular to ensure a balanced representation of the athletes. As Sarah Walker from New Zealand (cycling) came in fifth in the vote, the IOC President appointed her to the IOC Athletes’ Commission and proposed her for election as an IOC Member. Sarah Walker was elected as an IOC Member by the Session today.

The results of the votes are as follows:

Britta Heidemann: Abstentions: 0, Yes: 68, No: 3
Seug-min Ryu: Abstentions: 0, Yes: 69, No: 3
Daniel Gyurta: Abstentions: 0, Yes: 70, No: 1
Yelena Isinbayeva: Abstentions: 2, Yes: 45, No: 23
Sarah Walker: Abstentions: 0, Yes: 67, No: 3

The outgoing members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission are:

Claudia Bokel – Elected – 2008
Alexander Popov – Elected – 1996
Yumilka Ruiz Luaces – Elected – 2008
Barbara Kendall – Appointed – 2005 (after the resignation of Susie O’Neill)
Pedro Yang – Appointed – 2008
Todd Nicholson – IPC representative – 2013 (Todd’s term finishes June 2017)

Honorary Members

The IOC Session also welcomed today six Honorary Members: Ottavio Cinquanta (mandate ended in June as he is no longer President of an International Federation), Timothy Tsun Ting Fok, Issa Hayatou, Toni Khoury and Mounir Sabet (mandates expiring at the end of 2016), and Alexander Popov (second mandate as a member of the Athletes’ Commission is concluding at the end of the Games Rio 2016 and thus his term as IOC Member).

Olympic Orders

The Session also recognised the outstanding services of a numbers of Members and individuals to the Olympic Movement. The three IOC Honorary Members to receive the Olympic Order were: Ottavio Cinquanta, Patrick Chamunda and Julio César Maglione.

Posthumous honours were awarded to three Members who passed away during their mandate: Anton Geesink, Reynaldo Gonzalez Lopez and Peter Tallberg.

Finally, three individuals who have distinguished themselves through their outstanding services to the Olympic Movement and advancing the values of sport around the world received the Olympic Order: Narayanaswamy Ramachandran, Riesto Nieminen and Vlade Divac.

Narayanaswamy Ramachandran has made his mark in the world of sport through his lifelong dedication to the sport of squash. In his many leadership roles internationally and in India, his focus has always been on strengthening the role of sport in society and spreading the values of the Olympic Movement. 

Riesto Nieminen has dedicated his career to strengthening the integrity of sport. With his focus on promoting youth sport in his native Finland and beyond, he plays a leading role in bringing the Olympic values to the next generation of athletes and young people around the world. 

Throughout his life, Vlade Divac has understood the power of sport to bring people together in friendship and peace. He has always given back to his community what his sport of basketball has given to him. A double Olympic medallist, he has dedicated his career to placing sport at the service of humanity.

The next IOC Session is scheduled to take place in Lima (Peru) from 12 to17 September 2017.