WOA Board member to head IOC 2024 Evaluation Commission

2 | 3 | 2016

WOA Board Member Frank Fredericks has been named Chair of the International Olympic Committee’s Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad. Fredericks, an Olympic medallist, and former Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, will head up a 14-strong team to examine the bids from candidate cities for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

The influential IOC Member, who was appointed to the WOA Board earlier this year by IOC President Thomas Bach, has a wealth of experience in this area as he has previously sat on Evaluation Commissions for both the 2012 and 2020 Olympic Games.

IOC president, Thomas Bach, said in a statement following the announcement that he credits Agenda 2020 as having placed a special emphasis on the athletes’ experience and that Fredericks has great expertise in this area. He went on to say that the composition of the two Commissions and Working Group reflects the IOC’s commitment to even closer cooperation with key Olympic Family organisations, with a particular focus on the athletes.

Olympians are well represented on all three newly established groups which comprise a mix of high-ranking experts from the IOC, International Federations, National Olympic Committees and athletes’ representatives.

Frank Fredericks’ fellow WOA Board and IOC member and four-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero was rewarded for her dedication to the Youth Olympic Movement with a place on the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Tripartite Working Group, which will debate potential improvements and adjustments of the overall format of the Games, as well as a position on the Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

WOA President, Joël Bouzou, said:

“We are delighted at the appointment of Frank Fredericks to such a prestigious position by the IOC. Frank’s commitment to the Olympic Movement and the welfare of athletes’ makes him an excellent choice as Chair of the Evaluation Commission for the 2024 Summer Games and we wish him well in his new role.

“It is pleasing that Olympians continue to hold a prominent place within the governance structures of the IOC and the appointment of so many athletes’ representatives on the two Commissions and the Working Group demonstrates the strength of the Agenda 2020 reforms at ensuring athletes remain at the heart of the Olympic Games. Congratulations to all Olympians who have been awarded a position this week.”

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