IOC Changes Up Commissions, Highlights Women Participation

(ATR) IOC president Thomas Bach says an "important step" has been made to increase the number of women on IOC commissions.

The IOC says there are a total of 26 commissions in 2017, with 29 more positions being held by women. That represents a 38 percent composition of women, a record high for the IOC.

"I think this is pretty respectable figure for a worldwide organization," Bach told reporters at the Pan American Sports Organization Extraordinary General Assembly. "With regard to participation, next year [we have] full gender equality at the YOG, with regards to the events and with regard to participants. I’m pretty confident for Tokyo 2020 we can make further steps there and have more gender equality than in Rio."

A new "Digital and Technology Commission" has been created by the IOC, to be chaired by Gerardo Werthein. The commission’s job will be to update IOC leadership "on issues relating to the effective and secure use of digital and information technologies."

Notable changes to commission chairs from the 2016 commissions include Ruggiero leading the athletes commission in place of Claudia Bokel, Lingwei Li chairing the Buenos Aires 2018 Coordination Commission replacing Frank Fredericks, Patrick Baumann replacing Fredericks on the 2024 Evaluation Commission, C.K. Wu replacing Lambis Nikolaou on the Olympic Culture/Heritage Commission, and Phil Craven’s spot on the Olympic Education Commission going to Barry Maister.

Additionally, Patrick Hickey is still listed on two commissions and as the delegate member for autonomy, albeit with an asterisk next to his name. The asterisk says Hickey is "temporarily self-suspended." Hickey suspended himself after his arrest on ticket touting charges in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Olympic Games. He denies any wrongdoing and says he will contest the charges if prosecutors decide to bring the case to trial. The IOC is maintaining a "presumption of innocence" for Hickey.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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