Ten candidates have been announced for the six available seats on the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission ahead of the elections at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 in September.
All athletes accredited for the World Championships in Tokyo will have the right to vote in the elections, which will take place before and during competition time – from 8-20 September.
This year’s elections introduce an innovation in how voting will take place. For the first time, athletes can vote either in person or online. In addition, the extended voting period aims to give athletes who arrive later or depart earlier maximum opportunity to cast their votes.
As in previous years, World Athletics will offer relay batons to the athletes who vote in the elections.
To be eligible for election, athletes must have competed in at least one of the past two editions of the World Championships, or in the most recent Olympic Games, or be a competitor at this year’s World Championships.
The six seats available for election in 2025 include the Deputy Chair position, which will be voted on by the Athletes’ Commission following the elections and once the membership is finalised.
The 10 candidates are:
Mo’ath Alkhawaldeh – Jordan
Andreas Almgren – Sweden
Lia Apostolovski – Slovenia
Joan Chelimo – Romania
Lisanne de Witte – Netherlands
Ramil Guliyev – Turkiye
Thea LaFond – Dominica
Anna Ryzhykova – Ukraine
Hassan Taftian – Iran
Gia Trevisan – Italy
The list of candidates and their profiles can be found in the World Athletics Library. The official campaign period will start on 25 August, allowing candidates to promote their own campaigns.
Results of the elections will be announced on the last day of the World Championships, 21 September.
The importance of athletes to decision-making within World Athletics was recognised and embedded into the World Athletics structures with the governance and integrity reforms approved in December 2016.
Since 2019, the Chairperson and one other member of the Athletes’ Commission – one man and one woman – have been full voting members of the World Athletics Council.
SOURCE: WORLD ATHLETICS
