As is customary at every Olympic Games, at Rio 2016 elections took place for the replacement of members of the IOC Athletes Commission who had reached the end of their term.

Four new members were elected by their peers, including three Europeans: Germany’s Britta Heidemann (fencing), Hungarian Daniel Gyurta (swimming), Russian Yelena Isinbayeva (athletics). The fourth was Korean Seug min Ryu (table tennis).

They replaced outgoing Claudia Bokel (GER), Dae Sung Moon (KOR), Alexander Popov (RUS) and Yumilka Ruiz Luaces (CUB), who had been elected to the IOC Athletes Commission at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games for a term of eight years.

The new members, who also gained IOC membership during the IOC Session in Rio, were officially presented at the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

A few days earlier, the Committee had chosen a new president, American Angela Ruggiero. It also appointed a vice president, Tony Estanguet from France.

A total of 11,245 athletes were eligible to vote, and choose among the 23 candidates of different nationality. Voters were asked to choose four athletes from four different sports. Only National Olympic Committees with an athletes’ commission could propose a candidate. To be eligible, candidates needed to have participated at the London 2012 or Rio 2016 Olympic Games.