Spikes25 Oct 2023


Meet the Athletes' Commission

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The World Athletics Athletes' Commission (© World Athletics)

The Athletes’ Commission is part of World Athletics’ decision-making process. It advises the Council on the athletes’ perspective(s) and serves as a link between the athletes and World Athletics.

The Athletes’ Commission is comprised of up to 18 members as follows:

  • 12 members who are elected by their peers;
  • Up to 6 other members, who are nominated by Member Federations and appointed by the Council.

Of the 12 elected members, 6 are elected at each World Athletics Championships, so there is an election of 6 athletes every 2 years. The term of appointment is generally 4 years, commencing on the appointment by the Council after the election at the World Athletics Championships and expiring 4 years later. The maximum number of terms that an Athlete can serve is 3 (i.e., 12 years).

The importance of athletes to decision-making within World Athletics has been recognised in its governance reform introduced by President Sebastian Coe in 2016. Since 2019, the Chairperson and one other member of the Athletes’ Commission are full voting members of the World Athletics Council.

The Athletes currently holding these positions on Council are Dame Valerie Adams (NZL, as Chair) and Matthew Hughes (CAN, as Deputy Chair).

The 18 members of the Athletes' Commission are:

 

Dame Valerie Adams Dame Valerie Adams – Chair

New Zealand 🇳🇿

Matthew Hughes Matthew Hughes – Deputy Chair

Canada 🇨🇦

Paola Bonilla Paola Bonilla

Ecuador 🇪🇨

Milcah Chemos Cheywa Milcah Chemos Cheywa

Kenya 🇰🇪

German Chiaraviglio German Chiaraviglio

Argentina 🇦🇷

Lisanne de Witte Lisanne de Witte

The Netherlands 🇳🇱

Henry Frayne Henry Frayne

Australia 🇦🇺

Diego Garcia Carrera Diego Garcia Carrera

Spain 🇪🇸

Adam Gemili Adam Gemili

Great Britain & Northern Ireland 🇬🇧

Ivet Lalova-Collio Ivet Lalova-Collio

Bulgaria 🇧🇬

Renaud Lavillenie Renaud Lavillenie

France 🇫🇷

Halimah Nakaayi Halimah Nakaayi

Uganda 🇺🇬

Aisha Praught-Leer Aisha Praught-Leer

Jamaica 🇯🇲

Anna Ryzhykova Anna Ryzhykova

Ukraine 🇺🇦

Léa Sprunger Léa Sprunger

Switzerland 🇨🇭

Su Bingtian Su Bingtian

China 🇨🇳

Jasmine Todd Jasmine Todd

United States of America 🇺🇸

Toshikazu Yamanishi Toshikazu Yamanishi

Japan 🇯🇵

 

 

For any questions, the Athletes' Commission can be reached on athletescomms@worldathletics.org.