Katerina Stefanidi is a candidate for the IOC Athletes' Commission

Katerina Stefanidi is a candidate for the IOC Athletes' Commission

The golden Olympic medalist in pole-vault, Katerina Stefanidi, has been confirmed as an official candidate for membership in the IOC Athletes’ Commission. The election will be held during the Tokyo Olympic Games next summer.

The Greek athlete’s candidature was approved by the IOC Executive Board in a meeting held in Lausanne, following thorough examination of all candidatures submitted by National Olympic Committees.

The election of four new members in the IOC Athletes’ Commission will take place during the Tokyo Olympic Games, with all the athletes partaking having the right to vote. The new members of the Commission will serve an eight-year term, up to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. What’s more, after their election, the elected candidates will be proposed to the IOC Executive Board and IOC Session to become IOC Members".

The decision by the IOC Executive Board was received by Katerina Stefanidi in absolute joy: "I am really excited to be part of such a great group of athletes running for the IOC Athletes’ Commission, for the chance to represent and fight for the rights of Olympians and future Olympians. I would like to thank the Hellenic Olympic Committee for nominating me and giving me this amazing opportunity. My hope right now is that more athletes than ever before will vote for who they believe will represent them best. We are seeing an unprecedented effort by Olympic athletes all over the world to protect and fight for their rights. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to potentially do this for them through the IOC Athletes’ Commission".

Spyros Capralos, IOC Member and President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee which has proposed Stefanidi, said: "Not only myself, but also the whole of people of the sports community in Greece, are delighted that Katerina Stefanidi is candidate for the IOC Athletes’ Commission. Katerina is not only a great sportswoman, but she has an excellent personality, too. Multifaceted, generous, kind, but also a fighter: a perfect candidate for the IOC Athletes’ Commission. I am sure that a real fighter in the track & field events, will be also a real fighter in her new role, to the benefit of athletes all over the world. The Greek Olympic and sports family will stand by her side in her effort to get elected in the IOC Athletes’ Commission; for, we believe she truly deserves it".

Katerina Stefanidi was born on 4th February 1990 and has taken part in the Olympic Games of 2012 and 2016. Her most important achievement was in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where she struck gold, with a jump at 4,85 m. Her record is 4,91 m in outdoor track& field championship and 4,90 m indoors.

She was world champion in London in 2017, while in 2019 she won the bronze medal at the world championship in Doha. Moreover, she was European champion in 2016 in Amsterdam and in 2018 in Berlin. She was also European champion in indoor track and field championship in 2017 in Belgrade, while she ranked third at the world indoor track and field championship in 2018 in Birmingham.

Other important achievements of hers were: third place in the world indoor track and field championship in Portland in 2016, second place in the European championship in 2014 in Zurich and the European indoor championship in 2015 in Prague.

Last September she was elected member in the IAAF Athletes’ Commission, an acknowledgement of her wide potential by her fellow- track and field athletes.

She is married to Mitchell Krier who is also her coach.

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