IPC Governing Board Member van Driel appointed to 2022 Evaluation Commission

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board member Rita van Driel has been appointed to the IOC Evaluation Commission for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Three cities - Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing, China; and Oslo, Norway, are bidding for the 2022 Games and a final decision will be made on 31 July 2015 at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Before then, the 2022 Evaluation Commission will analyse the candidature files which have to be submitted to the IOC before 7 January 2015. They will then make on-site inspections of the bid cities between February and March 2015 and spend five full days with each bid team. The Commission's report, highlighting the risks and opportunities of the Candidate Cities' projects, will be published prior to the IOC 2022 Briefing for IOC Members to take place in June 2015.

Van Driel will be part of a 12-strong Evaluation Commission led by IOC Member Alexander Zhukov, the President of the Russian Olympic Committee. It is composed of representatives from the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, as well as a number of advisors.

Also joining the Commission will be IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi and IOC Head of Olympic Bid City Co-ordination Jacqueline Barrett.

First elected to the IPC Governing Board in 2009, van Driel is also Secretary General of the National Paralympic Committee of the Netherlands.

"I'm very honoured and excited to be appointed to the Commission," said van Driel, who was a member of the Evaluation and Co-ordination Commissions for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

"From my time involved in Nordic skiing and previous Evaluation and Co-ordination Commissions, I believe I bring a lot of relevant Paralympic expertise and experience to the team and will be looking to ensure that all three bids create the best platform for athletes to perform at the top of their game.

"I cannot wait to get started and look forward to working with the rest of the Commission under Alexander's leadership evaluating the three bid cities."

Commenting on the membership of the Commission, IOC President Thomas Bach said: "Each member of the Commission brings a wide range of expertise and experience and understands what it takes to host a sustainable, well-organised and ultimately successful Olympic Winter Games.

"At a time where we are finalising our discussions around Olympic Agenda 2020, the upcoming visits of the Evaluation Commission will reflect some of the new orientations that we foresee for the bidding process."

The members of the Commission are:

- Chair: Alexander Zhukov (Russia)

- Barry Maister (New Zealand)

- Adam Pengilly (Great Britain)

- Tsunekazu Takeda (Japan)

- Caroline Assalian (Canada)

- Dwight Bell (USA)

- Rita van Driel (The Netherlands)

- Tatiana Dobrokhvalova (Russia)

- Grant Thomas (USA)

- John McLaughlin (Canada)

- David Stubbs (Great Britain)

- Tim Gayda (Canada)

For more information contact: craig.spence@paralympic.org or call +49-228-2097-230. Alternatively, please visit www.paralympic.org.

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