World Athletics is pleased to announce the results of the Athletes’ Commission elections, which took place during the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
The six newly elected or re-elected members of the 2025-2029 Athletes’ Commission are:
Andreas Almgren (elected) – 1428 votes
Sweden
Lia Apostolovski (elected) – 1201 votes
Slovenia
Lisanne de Witte (re-elected) – 1566 votes
Netherlands
Thea LaFond (elected) – 1293 votes
Dominica
Anna Ryzhykova (re-elected) – 1244 votes
Ukraine
Gia Trevisan (elected) – 1456 votes
Italy
Athletes elected in 2023:
• Dame Valerie Adams (NZL)
• Renaud Lavillenie (FRA)
• Aisha Praught-Leer (JAM)
• Diego Garcia Carrera (ESP)
• Jasmine Todd (USA)
• Adam Gemili (GBR)
Outgoing members:
• Ivet Lalova-Collio (BUL)
• Lea Sprunger (SUI)
• Matthew Hughes (CAN)
• Toshikazu Yamanishi (JPN)
The full World Athletics Athletes’ Commission will be listed on the World Athletics website shortly.
All athletes accredited for the World Championships in Tokyo had the right to vote in the elections, which took place before and during competition time – from 8-20 September.
This year’s elections featured a record vote participation of 95.5%.
To be eligible for election, athletes needed to have competed in at least one of the past two editions of the World Championships, or in the most recent Olympic Games, or be a competitor at this year’s World Championships.
This year’s elections introduced an innovation in voting. For the first time, athletes could vote either in person or online. In addition, the extended voting period was designed to give athletes who arrived later or departed earlier maximum opportunity to cast their votes.
The six seats that were available for election in 2025 include the Deputy Chair position, which will be voted on by the Athletes’ Commission now the elections have been held.
The importance of athletes to decision-making within World Athletics was recognised and embedded into the World Athletics structures with the governance and integrity reforms approved in December 2016.
Since 2019, the Chairperson and one other member of the Athletes’ Commission – one man and one woman – have been full voting members of the World Athletics Council.
“I’m proud to see the incredible turnout in voting for the Athletes’ Commission election, with more than 2000 athletes participating to vote for their representatives this year,” said Athletes’ Commission Chair Dame Valerie Adams.
“The recent changes that were championed by the Athletes’ Commission and implemented by World Athletics regarding the placement of our voting station, the extended voting period and a hybrid solution to allow athletes to vote more flexibly during the World Championships have proven highly effective and we are truly grateful for the support we have received from the team on the ground that has contributed to the seamless delivery of this historic voting turnout.”
World Athletics