Chinese skater Han Cong to run for IOC Athletes' Commission

Chinese figure skater Han Cong and 10 other athletes will run for election to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission (AC), the IOC announced on Thursday.

Han, along with his Olympic gold medal-winning partner Sui Wenjing, announced earlier this month their return to competition next season after being absent since their victory at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

The 11 athletes were approved by the IOC Executive Board to be candidates for the AC during the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. The eight men and three women from five different sports and 11 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will vie for the two available positions on the commission.

All athletes competing at Milano Cortina 2026 will be eligible to vote, starting January 30. Voting will close on February 18, with results expected to be announced the following day.

The two candidates who receive the most votes from at least two different sports will be elected to serve eight-year terms on the IOC AC. They will replace Emma Terho (Ice Hockey, Finland) and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen (Cross-Country Skiing, Norway), whose terms will end during the Games.

Following the election, the commission will also elect a chair and two vice chairs.