IOC Commissions meet gender equality goal

For the first time men and women are evenly represented among the 31 commissions that carry out the behind the scenes work of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The 2022 list of commission members contains 546 seats, 273 held by men, 273 by women. Women now hold 13 of the commission chairs, the most ever.

The appointments are part of IOC President Thomas Bach’s campaign to reach gender equality. The push is part of Olympic Agenda 2020+5, a program of goals he aims to complete by the end of his term in 2025.

There are no big changes in the leadership of the commissions but some have changed name, some have been combined with other commissions.

One of the new group’s formed since last year is the Coordination Commission for the 2032 Games in Brisbane. Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe will chair the commission, Anita DeFrantz of the U.S. is vice chair. The Brisbane commission numbers 15 at this early stage, while the commission for Los Angeles in 2028 led by Nicole Hoevertsz of Aruba, has grown to 26 members after starting out smaller. The commission for Paris 2024 headed by Belgium’s Pierre Beckers-Vieujant remains at 16 members.

The biggest commission is Athlete’s Entourage with 40 members led by Sergey Bubka of Ukraine.

The smallest commission is the three member Human Resources Committee led by Ser Miang Ng of Singapore with Beckers-Vieujant and Kerstin Knapp, a Danish HR expert who has advised the IOC since 2017.

Argentina IOC member Gerardo Werthein checks in with the most assignments. He sits on 10 different groups, chairing the newly named panel on Technology and Technical Innovation. Werthien’s other commission tasks include marketing and chair of Olympic Broadcasting Services.

A group of six IOC members hold the next most numerous commission duties with six assignments each. The group includes Hoevertsz and Beckers-Vieujant, along with Auvilla Rapilla from Papua New Guinea, Gunilla Lindberg of Sweden and Mikaela Conjuangco-Jaworski from Philippines.

Two athletes in the IOC’s refugee team will join IOC commissions for the first time. Sudanese 800m runner Yiech Pur Biel is the first refugee member of the IOC, elected in February. He will continue to organize the refugee team for the Paris 2024 Games.

Masomah Ali Zada who competed in cycling at Tokyo 2020 as a refugee from Afghanistan, will join the Athlete’s Commission.

Non-IOC members make up about one-third of the commission seats. Among them NBC Olympics President Gary Zenkel who is on Digital Marketing and Engagement. His now retired predecessor, Dick Ebersol, continues on the management board for Olympic Channel Services

Kelly Salchow MacArthur, a two time Olympian in rowing for the U.S. who is now an arts professor at Michigan State University, has been invited to join the Culture and Olympic Heritage commission. Her artwork was displayed in Tokyo during the 2020 Olympics.

The names of some commissions have changed to reflect modifications in scope and amalgamation with other commissions.

The former Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport Commission and parts of the Communications Commission are now in a new Public Affairs and Corporate Communications Commission. Luis Alberto Moreno of Colombia leads this commission and heads the IOC mission to the U.N.

Other parts of the Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport Commission and the Sport and Active Society Commission have melded to form a new Olympism 365 Commission chaired by Auvilla Rapilla.

The Olympic Channel Commission and the other parts of the former Communications Commission have combined to create a Digital Engagement and Marketing Communication Commission led by Danka Bartekova of Slovakia.

The Marketing Commission is renamed as the Revenue and Commercial Partnerships Commission. Jiri Kevjal of Czech Republic remains chair.

The former Digital and Technology Commission is now the Technology and Technical Innovation Commission headed by Werthein.

A new name as well for the Women in Sport Commission, now known as the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission. Lydia Nsekera of Burundi continues as chair.

A number of the commissions will meet next month in Lausanne, Switzerland at IOC headquarters. November has become the traditional time frame for the commissions to hold their annual meetings. Others meet more frequently.

The full commission list for 2022 is published on the IOC website.