The 141st IOC Session, held in Mumbai, India, has welcomed eight new members to its ranks, evenly split between men and women. This move aligns with the IOC’s goal of promoting gender equality in its governance structures, raising the percentage of female members to 41.1%.
Among the new members is Yael Arad from Israel, a retired judoka and the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal, securing silver at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She became the President of the National Olympic Committee of Israel in November 2021, marking the first time a woman has held this role.
Balázs Fürjes from Hungary, a sports enthusiast and seasoned sports administrator, has also been elected to the IOC. He is part of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and led Budapest’s bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Cecilia Tait Villacorta, a former Peruvian Congresswoman and Olympian, has also been elected. As a volleyball player, she competed in the 1980, 1984, and 1988 Olympics, winning a team silver medal in Seoul.
Arad, Fürjes, and Villacorta have all been elected as Independent Individuals to the IOC.
In line with Rule 16.1.1.1 of the Olympic Charter, which allows for the election of up to seven IOC Members without a nationality or National Olympic Committee (NOC) requirement, Michelle Yeoh from Malaysia and Michael Mronz from Germany have been elected as Independent Individuals. Yeoh, a producer and actress, is a committed road-safety advocate, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador, and a campaigner for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Mronz, an entrepreneur and sports enthusiast, is actively involved in sports management in Germany, organizing several major sports tournaments and events.
Two candidates were elected based on their roles within an International Federation (IF): Petra Sörling from Sweden, President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and Jae-youl Kim from the Republic of Korea, President of the International Skating Union (ISU). Mehrez Boussayene of Tunisia was elected in his capacity as President of the Comité National Olympique Tunisien.
With these new additions, the total number of IOC Members now stands at 107.
Among the new members is Yael Arad from Israel, a retired judoka and the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal, securing silver at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She became the President of the National Olympic Committee of Israel in November 2021, marking the first time a woman has held this role.
Balázs Fürjes from Hungary, a sports enthusiast and seasoned sports administrator, has also been elected to the IOC. He is part of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and led Budapest’s bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Cecilia Tait Villacorta, a former Peruvian Congresswoman and Olympian, has also been elected. As a volleyball player, she competed in the 1980, 1984, and 1988 Olympics, winning a team silver medal in Seoul.
Arad, Fürjes, and Villacorta have all been elected as Independent Individuals to the IOC.
In line with Rule 16.1.1.1 of the Olympic Charter, which allows for the election of up to seven IOC Members without a nationality or National Olympic Committee (NOC) requirement, Michelle Yeoh from Malaysia and Michael Mronz from Germany have been elected as Independent Individuals. Yeoh, a producer and actress, is a committed road-safety advocate, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador, and a campaigner for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Mronz, an entrepreneur and sports enthusiast, is actively involved in sports management in Germany, organizing several major sports tournaments and events.
Two candidates were elected based on their roles within an International Federation (IF): Petra Sörling from Sweden, President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and Jae-youl Kim from the Republic of Korea, President of the International Skating Union (ISU). Mehrez Boussayene of Tunisia was elected in his capacity as President of the Comité National Olympique Tunisien.
With these new additions, the total number of IOC Members now stands at 107.