Lausanne, November 11, 2015 – Stavroula Kozompoli from Greece is the Continental Winner for Europe of this year awards ceremony that took place at the Olympic Museum.

This year’s continental winners also were Mervat Hassan (Africa), Sara Rosario (Americas), Sheikha Hayat Bint Abdulaziz Al-Khalifa (Asia), and Cathy Freeman, one of Australia’s most successful and admired Olympic champions,( Oceania )

New Zealand Olympic Committee became the first NOC to win the World Award for its long-standing efforts promoting women in sport that have resulted in strong female representation on its Board, within its senior management and on its Olympic teams.

All five winners have played key roles in increasing the participation of women in sport, including in administration and leadership positions, in their respective regions.

The European winner, Stavroula Kozompoli, for more than 15 years has acted as a mentor for female athletes and coaches, and has also been very active in identifying new talented female athletes and securing sponsorship for them.
A Former water polo player and part of the silver medal-winning team at the Olympic Games Athens 2004, she has served on several different commissions and associations within the sports movement and has made every effort to help and promote female athletes and support women in administration and leadership positions. As President of the Greek Olympic Winners Association, she has also promoted women’s sport in a variety of ways.

Yesterday’s ceremony was also a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the IOC Women in Sport Commission, today chaired by Lydia Nsekera, from Burundi. For two decades, the Commission has fostered gender equality and the strengthening of women’s participation in, and through, sport. The Commission’s efforts have helped to steadily increase women’s participation in the world of Olympic sport and raise awareness about gender equality in sport worldwide.

The candidature procedure for the 2016 edition of the IOC Women in Sport Awards is already open. The IOC invites all National Olympic Committees, International Federations and continental associations to put forward a person or association active in promoting gender equality and women in sport in their country. The deadline for submissions is 15 December 2015.