Olympic silver medalist Won Yun-jong nominated for IOC Athletes' Commission election
Published: 27 Feb. 2025, 17:34
Updated: 27 Feb. 2025, 17:35
![Former Korean bobsleigh pilot Won Yun-jong speaks to reporters before an interview with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee for candidacy in the election for the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission in Seoul on Feb. 26. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/02/27/741a54d7-a84a-4bab-8a31-fdb9b71a1068.jpg)
Former Korean bobsleigh pilot Won Yun-jong speaks to reporters before an interview with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee for candidacy in the election for the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission in Seoul on Feb. 26. [YONHAP]
The 2018 Olympic bobsleigh silver medalist Won Yun-jong was chosen as the Korean candidate for the election of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission on Thursday.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) announced Won beat out figure skater Cha Jun-hwan to become the lone Korean candidate. The KSOC will submit Won's formal application on March 14, and the IOC will finalize the list of candidates later in 2025.
The election for the commission, with fellow Olympians voting, will take place during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Won and Cha met with KSOC officials for interviews Wednesday, as they were evaluated on their English proficiency and other credentials.
Won piloted Korea to the silver medal in the four-man bobsleigh at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, giving the country its first Olympic medal in the sport.
Won retired after competing in his third Winter Games in 2022 in Beijing. He gained experience in sports administration by serving on athletes' commissions for both the KSOC and the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation.
Won will try to become the third Korean Olympian to work on the Athletes' Commission, joining the 2004 Olympic taekwondo champion Moon Dae-sung and the 2004 Olympic table tennis gold medalist Ryu Seung-min.
According to the IOC, the mission of the Athletes' Commission is to represent fellow athletes and support their development in their sporting and nonsporting careers.
Athletes' Commission members serve an eight-year term, but otherwise have the same responsibilities and rights as other IOC members.
The candidate must be able to communicate effectively in English or French, the two official working languages of the IOC.
The Athletes' Commission can have a maximum of 23 members, with up to 12 voted by peers and a maximum of 11 appointed by the IOC president.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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