18 Feb 2022 – Meeting in Beijing following the election of two new members, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission (AC) today re-elected Emma Terho (Finland, ice hockey) as its Chair and Seung Min Ryu (Republic of Korea, table tennis) as first Vice-Chair, and elected Sarah Walker (New Zealand, cycling) as second Vice-Chair of the Commission.
In December last year, the IOC Executive Board (EB) accepted the proposal by the IOC AC to create a second Vice-Chair position. This is open to both the elected and the appointed Commission members, providing more inclusivity for the IOC AC’s appointed members. The IOC AC Chair and first Vice-Chair positions remain open only to the elected members of the Commission.
Elected to the AC at PyeongChang 2018, Emma Terho took the lead of the Commission after the elections held during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. She was subsequently elected as a member of the IOC Executive Board. Terho is a five-time Olympian and former captain of the Finland women's ice hockey team, winning a bronze medal at both the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998 and Vancouver 2010. She will head the Commission until the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Elected to the IOC AC at Rio 2016 and then as Vice-Chair in Tokyo 2020, Seung Min Ryu is a Korean table tennis player who won gold in the men's singles at Athens 2004, a team silver medal at London 2012 and a team bronze medal at Beijing 2008.
Appointed to the IOC AC at Rio 2016, Sarah Walker is a three-time world champion in BMX from New Zealand. She competed in the inaugural Olympic women’s BMX competition at Beijing 2008, and won a silver medal four years later at London 2012.
IOC Executive Board puts forward two athletes for election as IOC members
The IOC EB has put forward Martin Fourcade (FRA) and Frida Hansdotter (SWE) for election by the IOC Session as IOC members. The two athletes were elected as members of the IOC AC for a term of eight years earlier this week by the athletes taking part in the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
The elections will take place during the 139th IOC Session on 19 February.
