Moon Dae-Sung, Republic of Korea (taekwondo), Alexander Popov, Russia (swimming), Claudia Bokel, Germany (fencing), and Ruiz–Luaces Yumilka, Cuba (volleyball), have been elected to the Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by their peers at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games for a term of eight years. During this period, they will also serve as IOC members, bringing the athletes' voice right to the heart of the Olympic Movement. The announcement was made today at Beijing’s Olympic Village by Anita L. DeFrantz, Chairwoman of the Election Committee and IOC member. The election has been held over the past 15 days in the Olympic Villages in Beijing, Hong Kong and Qingdao, as well as at the remote football venues.

Moon Dae-Sung was elected with 3,220 votes, followed by Alexander Popov, with 1,903 votes, Claudia Bokel  with 1,836 votes and Ruiz–Luaces Yumilka with 1,571 votes. The new members will be officially introduced at the Closing Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing on 24 August.

7,830 athletes – 71.6 per cent of all eligible voters - chose from among 29 candidates from as many countries. The votes had to be cast for four different athletes from four different sports. The record participation was higher than four years ago in Athens, where 54.5 per cent of the athletes voted.

 

All the candidate athletes had to be presented by their National Olympic Committee, which was required to have a properly formed Athletes’ Commission that selected the candidate. In order to be eligible, the candidates had to be 18 years or older on 24 August 2008, have participated either in the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 or in Beijing in 2008, and never been found guilty of a doping offence during their sports career.

Following the announcement, Anita DeFrantz stated: "All four winners can contribute with an enormous amount of experience to the important work of the Athletes’ Commission. The Commission really is a unique and very efficient link between active athletes and the IOC."

On 4 August, well-known Namibian sprinter Frank Fredericks was elected as the new Chairman of the IOC Athletes' Commission, for a two-year term. Fredericks, who won silver in the 100m and 200m sprints at both the 1992 Games in Barcelona and Atlanta in 1996, succeeds Sergey Bubka.

The IOC Athletes’ Commission upholds the rights, expertise and obligations of the athletes, and meets regularly – as well as with the IOC Executive Board, to which it issues recommendations. The Commission has 19 members, including active and retired athletes. Twelve are elected for eight years by the athletes competing in the Olympic Games, and up to seven athletes are appointed by the IOC President to ensure a balance between regions, genders and sports.

The Commission also includes one representative of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and one representative of the World Olympians Association (WOA). The Commission works on important topics where its members’ expertise is essential. Examples include education for athletes and preparation for their professional lives after their sporting career, and increasing women's participation in sport. Athletes’ Commission members are also represented in nearly every other IOC commission.

 

 Learn more about the IOC Athletes' Commission

 

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