Re-Elected World Athletics President Sebastian Coe to Preside Over 1st Gender Equal Council

During the 54^th World Athletics Congress held in Budapest, Sebastian Coe was re-elected as president of the World Athletics for a third time. This will be Coe’s last term in office under the World Athletics Constitution.

As per the reforms adopted in 2016, 13 representatives from each gender were to be elected to the World Athletics Council at the 2027 Congress. This goal has been achieved four years earlier than planned. The election of two Vice Presidents of each gender will complete the criterion during the 2027 Congress. Six Area Presidents, the Chair of the Athletes’ Commission, and two other members of the 26-member World Athletics Council will join the 13 newly elected members.

With the election of the first gender-equal Council for World Athletics four years early, Coe expressed his gratitude for the support of his colleagues and his excitement to see that more of the pledges they made during the governance reform process in 2016 had been realised. He said that more work still has to be done to achieve gender balance in all of their representative organisations. He further stated that sport’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths and should be represented in all aspects of governance.

The newly elected members of the World Athletics Council are Yuko Arimori (Japan), Anna Riccardi (Italy), Annette Purvis (New Zealand), Nawal El Moutawakel (Morocco), Nan Wang (China), Abby Hoffman (Canada), Nataliia Dobrynska (Ukraine), Sylvia Barlag (Netherlands), Beatrice Ayikoru (Uganda), Willie Banks (USA), Antti Pihlakoski (Finland), Cydonie Mothersill (Cayman Islands), Donna Raynor (Bermuda).