IPC Announces 13 Candidates for Athletes’ Council

The IPC named the 13 final candidates nominated for the Athletes’ Council, for which elections will take place at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. 28 Jun 2012

A picture of a man celebrating his victory on a bike

Jiri Jezek from Czech Republic celebrates after winning gold in the C2 individual pursuit at the Beijing 2008 Games.

ⒸGetty Images

By IPC

The IPC Athletes’ Council is the collective voice of Paralympic athletes within the IPC and the greater Paralympic Movement.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) on Wednesday (27 June) announced the 13 final candidates nominated to fill the six summer representatives on the IPC Athletes’ Council.

The IPC Athletes’ Council elections will take place from 27 August – 7 September during the London 2012 Paralympic Games at voting centres across the Paralympic Villages.

The 13 nominated athletes include:

• Arnaud Assoumani (France, Athletics)

• Sadegh Bigdeli (Iran, Sitting Volleyball)

• John Cavanagh (Great Britain, Archery)

• Heinz Frei (Switzerland, Para-Cycling)

• Gizem Girismen (Turkey, Archery)

• Jiri Jezek (Czech Republic, Para-Cycling)

• Lu Xiaolai (China, Para-Table Tennis)

• Jon McCullough (USA, Football 7-a-Side)

• Teresa Perales (Spain, Swimming)

• Timothy Prendergast (New Zealand, Athletics)

• Elvira Stinissen (Netherlands, Sitting Volleyball)

• Alexandros Helmut Taxildaris (Greece, Swimming)

• Yu Chui Yee (Hong Kong, Wheelchair Fencing)

The three members of the IPC Electoral Commission for the elections include Alan Dickson (Chairperson IPC Legal and Ethics Committee), Linda Mastandrea (Member IPC Legal and Ethics Committee) and Carla Qualthrough (Member IPC Legal and Ethics Committee).

The IPC Athletes’ Council is the collective voice of Paralympic athletes within the IPC and the greater Paralympic Movement.

As the liaison between IPC decision-makers and Paralympic athletes, it works to provide effective input into decision-making at all levels of the organization and to ensure effective athlete representation on all IPC committees and commissions as well as to create other opportunities for athlete representation both within and outside the IPC.

To be eligible for election to the Athletes' Council an individual must be an active Paralympic athlete, which means he or she must be an athlete that is competing in the current edition of the Paralympic Games or Paralympic Winter Games at which the election is taking place, or has competed in either of the previous two editions of the Paralympic Games.