International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

Athletes' Commission (IOC AC) is a majority elected body that serves as a link between athletes and the IOC. The mission of the IOC AC is to ensure that athletes' viewpoint remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement decisions, representing future, current and recently retired Olympic athletes. The IOC AC aims to provide athletes with a platform to share their voice and experiences, and be part of change and decisions shaping the future of sport. Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5 recommendations further support and protect clean and fair sport, and promote athletes' rights and responsibilities, which is at the heart of the commission's work. The current Chair of the IOC AC is Finnish double Olympic bronze medallist and ice hockey player

Emma Terho Emma Kristiina Terho (born 17 December 1981) is a Finnish retired ice hockey defenseman and the current Chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission. She previously served as general manager of Kiekko-Espoo Naiset in the Naisten Liiga. At the 1998 Wint ...

. Her role is to set the commission's focus and lead strategy implementation following on the work of her predecessor,

Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward (born 16 September 1983) is a Zimbabwean swimmer and politician currently serving as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation in the Cabinet of Zimbabwe since September 2018. A former Olympic swimmer and wo ...

. As Chair, she serves as a member of the IOC Executive Board on behalf of athletes.

Functions and responsibilities

IOC AC members work to deliver priorities across all areas of the commission's responsibility. The IOC AC supports and facilitates communication between a global network of Athletes’ Commissions (ACs), made up of athlete representatives across Olympic Movement stakeholders such as the National Olympic Committees (NOCs),

International Federations A sports governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sports governing bodies come in various forms and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule i ...

(IFs), Organising Committees for the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

(OCOGs), the

International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; german: Internationales Paralympisches Komitee) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and fun ...

(IPC), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Commission may be invited by the

IOC President The president of the International Olympic Committee is head of the executive board that assumes the general overall responsibility for the administration of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the management of its affairs. The IOC E ...

to submit proposals, recommendations or reports to the IOC Executive Board or Session. AC members are represented on nearly every other IOC commission as well as the IOC Executive Board to ensure that the athletes’ viewpoint is fully integrated into IOC decision-making.

History

The IOC AC was established in 1981 by then-IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, who described its purpose in a letter to the man who would become one of his successors,

Thomas Bach Thomas Bach (born 29 December 1953) is a German lawyer, former Olympic foil fencer and Olympic gold medalist, serving as the ninth and current president of the International Olympic Committee since 10 September 2013. He is also a former memb ...

: “''This Commission will act as the spokesman of all athletes to the International Olympic Committee''.” The first IOC AC meeting took place in Rome, Italy, in May 1982 with members Thomas Bach (Germany),

Sebastian Coe Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, (born 29 September 1956), often referred to as Seb Coe, is a British politician and former track and field athlete. As a middle-distance runner, Coe won four Olympic medals, including 1500 metres gold medal ...

(Great Britain), Edwin Moses (United States),

Ivar Formo Ivar Formo (24 June 1951 – 26 December 2006) was a Norwegian cross-country skier and orienteer who competed during the 1970s. Career He won four medals at the Winter Olympics. Formo also won two bronze medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Champi ...

(Norway),

Kipchoge Keino Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino (born 17 January 1940) is a retired Kenyan track and field athlete. He was the chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Committee (KOC) until 29 September 2017. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Keino was among the first in a lon ...

(Kenya), Vladislav Tretiak (Soviet Union),

Svetla Otsetova Svetla Otsetova ( bg, Светла Оцетова, born 23 November 1950) is a Bulgarian rower. She won a gold medal with Zdravka Yordanova in women's double sculls rowing in the 1976 Montreal Olympics.Bojan Križaj (Yugoslavia). They discussed topics still relevant to athletes today, including the fight against doping, gender equality, and the elimination from the Olympic Games of political influence and pressure. For 13 years, the Commission members were appointed by the IOC President. Since the

Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...

Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the municip ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, in 1994, the majority of the members have been elected by their fellow athletes. In 2000, eight members of the IOC AC became IOC members, and the first athlete representative joined the IOC Executive Board. In 2014, athletes’ views played a key role and were fully integrated into Olympic Agenda 2020, which consisted of 40 recommendations to shape the future of the Olympic Movement. One of the recommendations highlighted the need to support athletes both on and off the field of play, leading the commission to launch the IOC AC Strategy in September 2017. This was set out to represent and engage with athletes within the Olympic Movement and support their sporting and non-sporting careers. In February 2021, a new strategic roadmap, Olympic Agenda 2020+5 was proposed by the IOC Executive Board. It builds on the existing agenda to further support athletes and promote athletes’ rights and responsibilities.

Strategy

The development and launch of the IOC AC Strategy was a collective effort that involved AC members from Continental Associations (CAs), IFs and many other Olympic Movement stakeholders. It was unveiled to the global athlete community in November 2017 during the International Athletes’ Forum. The protection and promotion of clean and fair sport is at the heart of the commission's work, and its Strategy sets out to engage with athletes globally, to understand their perspective, and engage with the entire Olympic Movement to ensure that athletes’ voices are taken into consideration as part of the decision-making process. The Strategy outlines an 'all-in' mantra and mentality which commit to applying the Strategy within the Olympic Movement. The Strategy is composed of four pillars. Pillars 1 and 2 relate to the IOC AC's role with athletes: * to empower athlete participation in Olympic Movement decision-making processes * to support athletes’ development in their sporting and non-sporting careers The goal of these pillars is to ensure that all athlete representatives are empowered through a worldwide network of effective ACs. Pillars 3 and 4 relate to the IOC AC's role within the Olympic Movement: * to promote athlete involvement in decision-making across the Olympic Movement * to ensure athlete representation in Olympic Movement decision-making The goals of these pillars are to ensure that the value of athlete involvement is recognised, and that the viewpoint of athletes is represented within all Olympic Movement stakeholders. The Commission measures results with performance indicators: (a) what progress has been made to achieve these goals; (b) how well strategic priorities are being delivered; and (c) how well resources have been optimised to deliver priorities.

Membership

The IOC AC represents future, current and recently retired Olympic athletes. The commission has a maximum of 23 members, the majority elected by fellow Olympic athletes, who serve for a term of eight years and may also serve as IOC members. A maximum of 11 members can be appointed by the IOC President to balance regional, gender and sports representation. Members of the IOC AC are volunteers, driven by their desire to represent athletes and support them to succeed on and off the field of play. The Chair and Vice Chair are members elected by the commission. The IOC AC Chair is also a member of the IOC Executive Board. Other members from Olympic Movement stakeholders can be appointed and invited to attend IOC AC meetings. Current composition of the IOC AC The IOC AC has Liaisons from all continents and other Olympic Movement stakeholders. The Chairs of all of the CAs’ Athletes’ Commissions, the Chair of the IPC Athlete Council and a

World Olympians Association The World Olympians Association (WOA) is an independent association of Olympic Games competitors. Its stated objectives are to promote the Olympic ideals and fair play, advance environmental protection, educate against doping and drug use, supply ...

(WOA) representative are Liaisons to the IOC AC. IOC AC Liaisons are invited to attend various meetings of the IOC AC, share the athletes’ viewpoint from their continent or organisation, and help facilitate the IOC AC's engagement with other organisations.

Elections

IOC AC elections are held at each edition of the

, with new members voted on to the commission by the athletes competing at that edition of the Games. Four or five members are elected at each Summer Games and two or three at each Winter Games, replacing members whose eight-year terms expire. The next election will take place at the Paris 2024 Games, with candidates replacing current members

Britta Heidemann Britta Heidemann (born 22 December 1982) is a German épée fencer. In 2016, Heidemann became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Career Épée Fencing At the age of 14, already being a successful athlete and swimmer, Britta ...

Ryu Seung-min Ryu Seung-min (; born August 5, 1982 in Seoul, South Korea) is a Korean table tennis player who won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the men's singles competition. His opponent was Wang Hao, a top-seeded player from the Chinese ...

Daniel Gyurta Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength"), ...

, Yelena Isinbayeva and Sarah Walker. To become a candidate for the IOC AC, an athlete must meet the eligibility criteria set out by the IOC. Candidates must either participate in the Olympic Games taking place at the time of the election or have participated in the previous edition of the Games. All NOCs that are not represented on the IOC AC are invited to submit a candidate to the IOC during the candidature phase launched one year before the opening ceremony of each Olympic Games.

International Athletes' Forum

The IOC AC organises an International Athletes’ Forum every two years. The aim of the Forum is to bring the global community of athlete representatives together and to emerge stronger and more united as a network, advocating change with one clear voice. The Forum allows for representatives from each IF, NOC, CA and OCOG, as well as athlete representatives from other organisations, to have a platform to share their voice and exchange ideas in order to take solutions back to their respective communities. The Forum includes panel discussions, Q&A sessions and interactive workshops to empower, inspire and unite the global athlete community. There have been nine editions since the first Forum in 2002. The largest to date took place in

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...

in 2019, with over 350 athlete representatives attending the biennial event. 2002 The 1st International Athletes’ Forum took place in Lausanne (19-20 October), and concentrated on the role of athletes in the Olympic Movement. Key focuses included the fight against anti-doping, self-promotion for athletes during and after their sporting careers, and the integration of professional athletes into the Olympic Movement. Athlete representatives who attended this 1st Forum recognised the work of the IOC in bringing together the ACs, and made clear their support for the Forum to be held on a regular basis. This historic Forum acted as a catalyst for improving athlete standing in the Olympic Movement, and led directly to the creation of the IOC Athlete Career Programme and other athlete support networks. 2005 The 2nd edition of the International Athletes’ Forum (11-12 June) again took place in Lausanne, Switzerland, and looked at career transition after a career in sport. Key focuses included exploring how athletes could ensure they were set up for a career after retirement, and the roles of the NOCs, IFs and entourage in this transition. The recommendations of this 2nd Forum emphasised the need to support and inform athletes during and after their sporting careers in order to create a smooth transition to life away from competition. 2007 The 3rd International Athletes’ Forum (27-28 October) was held in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

, and explored the growing role of athletes in the Olympic Movement. Key focuses included athlete education and career management, athletes’ image and networking, and athlete involvement in preparations for the Olympic Games. This 3rd Forum reinforced the belief that education was an essential tool to help athletes during and after their careers, and the idea that athletes could be integrated further into the organisation of the Games. 2009 The 4th International Athletes’ Forum (29-31 May) was organised in

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, and centred on athletes’ standing within the Olympic Movement. Key focuses included the relationship between athletes and sporting bodies, health protection for athletes, and athletes’ lives during and after elite competition. This 4th Forum recognised recent progress in increasing athletes’ standing within the Olympic Movement, and sought to strengthen the structures around athletes to further improve the support they received. 2011 The 5th International Athletes’ Forum (8-10 October) took place in Colorado Springs,

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, and aimed to assess the various elements of athlete livelihood within the Olympic Movement. Key focuses included different aspects of athlete life, the role of the entourage, communication and social media, safety and security, anti-doping, and the Games-time experience. This 5th Forum acknowledged the importance of athlete support, particularly with regard to the members of an athlete's entourage and sporting bodies involved in the Olympic Movement. 2013 The 6th International Athletes’ Forum (27-29 June) was staged in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

and concentrated on athlete welfare in the Olympic Movement. Key focuses included athletes’ Games-time experience, communication between athletes and Acs, and Rules 40 and 50 of the Olympic Charter. This 6th Forum hailed the global impact of Acs and reiterated the benefits they bring, encouraging representatives to meet outside the official Forum programme when possible. 2015 The 7th International Athletes’ Forum (8-10 October) was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, and aimed to assess the implementation of the athlete recommendations in Olympic Agenda 2020. Key focuses included athlete-related recommendations and empowering ACs and their chairpersons. This 7th Forum received the Olympic Agenda 2020 athlete-related recommendations, and re-emphasised that ACs were a fundamental part of the Olympic Movement and should continue to work with stakeholders to ensure their effectiveness. The discussions resulted in an agreement to empower athletes through better communication and the provision of more information. 2017 The 8th International Athletes’ Forum (11-13 November) was organised in Lausanne, Switzerland, and focused on the newly launched IOC AC Strategy and other important topics. It brought together over 100 athlete representatives, and key focuses included the four pillars of the Strategy, the fight against doping, empowering ACs, and the Athletes’ Rights and Responsibilities Declaration. This 8th Forum united behind the newly launched Strategy. It was agreed that the four pillars it included would shape the IOC AC's work in subsequent years. 2019 The 9th International Athletes’ Forum (13-15 April) was held in Lausanne, Switzerland. The biggest-ever gathering of athletes’ representatives, it included some 350 athlete representatives from 185 NOCs, 50 IFs, five ACs from CAs, the ACs of all the OCOGs of the upcoming Games, the IPC, WADA and the WOA. Key focuses included the impact of the IOC AC Strategy, the Athletes’ Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities, and supporting ACs globally. This Forum recognised the importance of the creation of the Athletes’ Declaration of Rights and Responsibilities in 2018, and proposed nine key recommendations to support athletes. IOC President Thomas Bach expressed his support for the Declaration and encouraged athlete representatives to make their voices heard.

Athlete365

Launched in 2018, Athlete365 is the IOC's athlete engagement initiative, uniting all information and support for athletes under a single brand. The IOC AC played a central role in the concept and delivery of Athlete365, which consists of a digital platform coupled with physical engagement during the Olympic Games. Athlete365 also connects with athletes’ entourage members – e.g. coaches, family and sponsors – to guide them with specific topics to support their athletes. The platform houses all of the IOC athlete programmes and activities, including Career+, Business Accelerator, Athlete365 Learning, Games-time information, Athletes’ Declaration, AC resources, International Athletes’ Forum, and support for athletes in matters such as safeguarding and mental health. Athlete365 focuses on six key themes for athletes: Voice, Career, Finance, Integrity, Performance, and Well-being. Learning is central to all Athlete365 themes, and a dedicated platform hosts accessible and expert-led courses for all athletes and entourage members. The work of the IOC AC falls within the Voice theme of Athlete365, ensuring athletes are at the heart of, and heard by, the Olympic Movement, through empowering and amplifying the collective voice of athletes via the Global Network of Athletes’ Representatives.

Global consultations with athletes

The IOC AC often conducts consultations with athletes on specific topics to effectively capture the athletes’ voice and ensure its input into IOC decision-making.

Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter

During the second half of 2020 and into 2021, the IOC AC conducted a global consultation on athlete expression at the Olympic Games. The IOC AC published new Rule 50 guidelines in January 2020 to provide further clarity on existing opportunities to express views at the Olympic Games and where it is not considered appropriate. In 2019, while drafting the guidelines, the IOC AC consulted continuously with the global athlete community. In June 2020, the IOC Executive Board published a resolution against discrimination in which the Board supported the proposal from the IOC AC to lead a consultation with athletes on athlete protests and non-discrimination. The Athletes’ Declaration Steering Committee, IFs, CAs, and NOC ACs also stated their support to the IOC AC on the consultation. The objective of the consultation was to consult with the athlete community and explore additional ways as to how Olympic athletes can express their support for the principles important to them, while at the same time respecting the Olympic spirit. The consultation began in July 2020 with qualitative discussions with various ACs; a quantitative survey was launched in December 2020 on Athlete365 to gather input from athletes globally. Over 3,500 athletes from around the world shared their views in the survey, representing all Olympic sports and 185 NOCs. Recommendations from the consultation are due to be finalised in the spring of 2021 and submitted to the IOC Executive Board for review.

Athletes' Rights and Responsibilities Declaration

Driven by the IOC AC, the Athletes’ Declaration is a historic, athlete-driven initiative developed by athletes for athletes, through a worldwide consultation process led by an athlete representative Steering Committee. The Declaration was presented and adopted at the 133rd IOC Session in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, in 2018. It outlines a common set of aspirational rights and responsibilities for athletes within the Olympic Movement. The Declaration states athletes’ rights, which aspires to promote their ability and opportunity to: * practise sport and compete without discrimination * be part of a transparent, fair and clean sporting environment * access general information on athlete and competition-related matters * access education on sports-related matters and work or study while training and competing * leverage opportunities to generate income in relation to their sporting career, name and likeness * fair and equal gender representation * protection of mental and physical health * elect athlete representation within sporting organisations of the Olympic Movement * report unethical behaviour without fear of retaliation * privacy, including protection of personal information * freedom of expression * due process The Declaration states athletes’ responsibilities, which encourage them to: * uphold Olympic values * respect integrity of sport * act in accordance with the IOC Code of Ethics * comply with applicable national laws * respect rights and well-being of everyone within the sporting environment, and refrain from political demonstration in competitions, venues and ceremonies * respect the solidarity principle of the Olympic Movement * act as a role mode, including to promote clean sport * inform themselves and be aware of their responsibilities * participate in hearings when requested to do so * participate and vote in athlete representatives’ elections

References

External links

IOC Athletes' Commission website
{{International Olympic Committee International Olympic Committee