The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission (AC) has ushered in a new leadership team, with Spain’s Pau Gasol Sáez elected as Chair, Poland’s Maja Włoszczowska retaining her role as first Vice-Chair, and Kenya’s Humphrey Kayange elected second Vice-Chair.
A newly created third Vice-Chair position will be filled by Canada’s Oluseyi Smith following elections held during the IOC AC meeting in Milan.
The new leadership will serve through to the LA28 Olympic Games, with Gasol taking over from outgoing Chair Emma Terho.
For Kenya, Kayange’s elevation marks another major milestone in his growing influence within the Olympic Movement. The former rugby sevens star has steadily risen through the ranks since joining the IOC Athletes’ Commission at Tokyo 2020.
He was appointed to the Coordination Commission for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in 2022 and became its Chair in 2025, underlining the trust placed in his leadership at the global level.
Gasol, a five-time Olympian, brings vast experience to the role. The Spanish basketball legend won silver medals at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and a bronze at Rio 2016. Since being elected to the IOC AC at Tokyo 2020, he has also served on the IOC Coordination Commission for LA28 and the IOC Ethics Commission.
Speaking after his election, Gasol described the moment as a significant responsibility.
“This is a big moment to be able to take on the responsibility of leading our Commission,” he said. “Since I was elected in Tokyo in 2021, it’s been an incredible learning journey that I am excited to continue. We have a unique opportunity until LA28 to make significant strides and build on the progress that we have made already. It’s about working together – the stronger we work together, the more we will accomplish.”
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As Chair, Gasol will sit on the IOC Executive Board, ensuring that the athletes’ voice is represented at the highest level of decision-making.
Włoszczowska, a four-time Olympian and double silver medallist at Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016, continues as first Vice-Chair after initially being elected to the Commission at Tokyo 2020 and later to her vice-chair role at Paris 2024. She has also served on the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission since 2022.
Smith, appointed to the IOC AC in 2022, uniquely represented Canada at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. He competed in the 4x100m relay at London 2012 before transitioning to bobsleigh, finishing sixth in the four-man event at PyeongChang 2018. He is also a participant in the IOC Young Leaders programme.
Gasol succeeds Emma Terho, who was first elected to the IOC AC at PyeongChang 2018 before becoming Chair at Tokyo 2020. She was re-elected at both Beijing 2022 and Paris 2024, making her the longest-serving female Chair in the Commission’s history.
As her term comes to an end, Terho expressed pride in the Commission’s achievements and congratulated the new leadership team as they take forward the mandate of representing athletes worldwide.
The IOC Athletes’ Commission remains a central pillar of the Olympic Movement, composed of up to 23 members. Twelve are elected directly by athletes during the Olympic Games, while up to 11 are appointed to ensure balanced representation across gender, regions and sports. Fifteen members represent athletes at the IOC Session, equal to the number of representatives from National Olympic Committees and International Federations.
