IOC Executive Board proposes eight new IOC Members for election to the Session in Mumbai

The IOC Executive Board (EB) today agreed to propose eight new IOC Members for election to the 141^st IOC Session , which will meet in Mumbai, India, from 15 to 17 October 2023. In doing so, it is following the recommendations of the  IOC Members Election Commission.

The IOC EB also proposed the re-election of seven IOC Members within the age limit, as well as the extension of the terms of office of two IOC Members.

Eight new IOC Members proposed for election

The EB approved the nomination of eight candidates – four women and four men – for election as IOC Members by the upcoming Session.

Five candidates, three women and two men, have been proposed as Independent Individuals:

• Mrs Yael Arad (female, year of birth: 1967, Israel)
• Mr Balázs Fürjes (male, year of birth: 1971, Hungary)
• Mrs Cecilia Roxana Tait Villacorta (female, year of birth: 1962, Peru)
• Mrs Michelle Yeoh (female, year of birth: 1962, Malaysia) and Mr Michael Mronz (male, year of birth: 1967, Germany), whose nomination is possible in accordance with Rule 16.1.1. of the Olympic Charter. The rule allows for up to seven IOC Members to be elected in special cases without a nationality or National Olympic Committee (NOC) requirement.

Two candidates, one woman and one man, have been proposed linked to their functions within an International Federation (IF):

• Ms Petra Sörling, President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) (female, year of birth: 1971, Sweden)
• Mr Jae Youl Kim, President of the International Skating Union (ISU) (male, year of birth: 1968, Republic of Korea)

One candidate has been proposed linked to his function within a National Olympic Committee (NOC):

• Mr Mehrez Boussayene, President of the Comité National Olympique Tunisien (male, year of birth: 1959, Tunisia)

The candidates have been subject to integrity checks conducted by the IOC Ethics Commission.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “These candidates bring added value to the work of the IOC because of their experience and diverse expertise in different walks of life. What they all have in common is their love of sport and their strong belief in the Olympic values and what the IOC stands for. Furthermore, the selection of four women reinforces the IOC’s commitment to gender equality by increasing the membership to 44 women, which brings the percentage of women up to 41.1 per cent.”

IOC Members to be re-elected in 2023 with the age limit taken into consideration

Seven IOC Members arriving at the end of their eight-year term, following their election or re-election in 2015, will be proposed for re-election for another eight years, with the age limit being taken into consideration for the end of the terms (80 years for those elected before December 1999 and 70 years for those elected after that date):

• Mrs Nawal El Moutawakel (Morocco, Independent Individual, year of birth: 1962, elected in 1998)
• HSH the Sovereign Prince Albert II (Monaco, Independent Individual, year of birth: 1958, elected in 1985)
• HRH the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (Luxembourg, Independent Individual, year of birth: 1955, elected in 1998)
• Mr Valeriy Borzov (Ukraine, Independent Individual, year of birth: 1949, elected in 1994, end of term at the end of 2029)
• Mrs Gunilla Lindberg (Sweden, Independent Individual, year of birth: 1947, elected in 1996, end of term at the end of 2027)
• Syed Shahid Ali (Pakistan, Independent Individual, year of birth: 1946, elected in 1996, end of term at the end of 2026)
• Mr Nenad Lalović (Serbia, membership linked to his function as President of United World Wrestling (UWW), year of birth: 1958, end of term at the end of 2028)

Extension of terms of office for two IOC Members

The IOC EB agreed to submit to the Session for approval the extension of the terms of office for four years of two IOC Members.

• Mr Luis Mejía Oviedo (Dominican Republic, Independent Individual, year of birth: 1953, elected in 2017, whose age limit, 70, will be reached at the end of 2023), starting from 1 January 2024 and running until the end of 2027. This is due to his position as President of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organisation (ODECABE) and to his pioneering role in promoting the Olympic Movement and its values through a national Olympic Channel.

• Mr Gerardo Werthein (Argentina, Independent Individual, year of birth: 1955, elected in 2011, whose age limit, 70, will be reached at the end of 2025), starting from 1 January 2026 and running until the end of 2029. This is due, in particular, to his position as Chair of the Boards of Directors of Olympic Broadcasting Services SA and SL, where, because of the digital revolution, developments have to be followed up consistently. Mr Werthein’s guidance in his capacity as Chair of the Technology and Technical Innovation Commission is also necessary in this field.

Re-election of a member of the IOC Ethics Commission

Finally, pursuant to Rule 22.2 of the Olympic Charter and Art. 2 of the IOC Ethics Commission’s statutes, the IOC EB also proposed that the IOC Session re-elect to the IOC Ethics Commission HE Ambassador Patricia O’Brien (year of birth: 1957, Ireland) for a final four-year term in her capacity as personality, independent member. Mrs O’Brien was first elected to the IOC Ethics Committee in 2015.

The IOC membership elections will be held at the 141^st IOC Session that will take place in Mumbai, India, from 15 to 17 October 2023.

Credit: IOC