Athletes' Commission

ATHLETES’ COMMISSION MEMBERS

 

 

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1. Purpose
   1. To represent active national team rowers (including Under 19s and Under 23s), and to act as a liaison between them and World Rowing. 
2. Activities
   1. To consider issues related to rowers and provide relevant input to Council and Executive Committee. 
   2. To engage actively with and to initiate rowing specific projects that protect and support clean athletes on and off the water. 
   3. To consult with athletes in the evaluation of the Rules and Event Regulations of rowing and provide feedback to Council and Executive Committee. 
   4. To convene and conduct rowers’ surveys and/or meetings at World Rowing Championships and to provide a report to the Executive Committee. 
   5. To analyse the organisation of the World Rowing Championships and Olympic and Paralympic regattas and to report any findings to the Council. 
   6. To support effective communication of information from World Rowing to the Senior National Team athlete community. 
   7. To raise awareness of the AC election and appointment process amongst the active and recently retired athlete communities. 
   8. To maintain contact with the IOC Athlete Commission. 
3. Membership
   1. The AC is composed of ten (10) members, who are Active Athletes or Recently Retired Athletes: 
      1. Five (5) Active Athletes or Recently Retired Athletes elected at the WRCh by their peers, in accordance with Article 3 Election and Appointment of AC Members; 
      2. Five (5) Active Athletes or Recently Retired Athletes appointed by Council, in accordance with Article 3 Election and Appointment of AC Members. 
      3. Of the five (5) elected AC members, four (4) shall represent flat water Rowing including Para Rowing), and one (1) shall represent Coastal Rowing. 
   2. An Active Athlete is an athlete who competed at a Senior and/or World Rowing Beach Sprint Championship (WRCh), in the applicable discipline or format (flat water Rowing, including Para Rowing; Coastal Rowing), as a representative of a Member Federation, in the year of their election or appointment. The athlete should be a national of that country. 
   3. A Recently Retired Athlete is an athlete who competed at a WRCh or the Olympic & Paralympic Games, in the applicable discipline or format (flat-water Rowing, including Para Rowing, and Coastal Rowing), as a representative of a Member Federation, in the previous eight (8) years. 
   4. Membership of the AC is subject to the World Rowing Statutes Art.54 Ethical Principles and Integrity. 
   5. Members of the AC must be eligible for membership at the time of the election and appointment process and may then serve a full four year-term. 

2026 Athletes’ Commission Election and Appointment Process 

The 2026 Athletes’ Commission Election and Appointment process has been launched. All information relating to the nominations, elections & appointment process can be found here. 

Announcement of the launch of the process – Circular No. 2 of 20 February 2026 

2026 Athletes’ Commission Elections & Appointments Nomination Form  

Appendix S5 – World Rowing Athletes’ Commission Regulations & Election Procedures of the Statutes 

Please note that, following an analysis of the process in 2022, the Council approved on 17/02/2026 the following italicised changes to appendix S5: 

Part III – Athletes’ Commission Election and Appointment Committee  

1 – An AC Election & Appointment Committee will be convened at the beginning of the AC Election Year.

2 – The Committee shall be composed of one chair and at least two members, appointed by the Executive Committee. The Chair of the Election Committee will be a Council member; the other two members will be Council or Commission members. The Committee will be supported by the staff member responsible for AC election administration.  

3 – The role of the AC Election and Appointment Committee is to ensure compliance with the AC Election Procedure, and to supervise the entire election process and procedure [previous: and count ballots]. The Committee will also recommend AC members to the Council for appointment, in accordance with Part I, Art. 3 

3 – Nomination Process 

3.1 – At least six (6) months prior to the start of the Senior WRCh in the AC Election Year, World Rowing will notify MFs of the opening of the nomination process for the election(s) to the AC. The notice will include details of the elective position(s).  

3.2 – MFs intending to nominate a candidate shall submit a completed nomination form, by the published deadline in the format communicated by World Rowing.

3.3  – MFs may nominate one candidate only in any AC Election Year.  

3.4 – At least two (2) [previous: three (3)] months before the opening of the relevant WRCh, all candidates meeting the criteria set out in Arts. 2 and 3.2 of the Election Procedures and having been duly validated will be declared admissible by the Executive Committee and the candidate list published.  

Timeline of the process (graphic for illustration purposes) 

Athletes’ Commission Chair Role Description 

2026 Athletes’ Commission Election & Appointment Committee 

Chair:
Lenka Dienstbach-Wech, World Rowing Council Member 

Members:
Ronald Chen, Mehdi Garidi, Frida Svensson, Guin Batten, World Rowing Council Members 

 

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