Ireen Wüst announced as a candidate for the IOC Athletes' Commission

Five-time Olympic champion Ireen Wüst is one of the 17 candidates for the IOC Athletes' Commission. The IOC announced the list of candidates today. If elected, Ireen will represent the Olympic athletes at the IOC for the next eight years. Elections will take place during the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Ireen Wüst: "It is an honour to be nominated as candidate for the IOC Athletes’ Commission by the NOC of the Netherlands (NOC*NSF) and its Athletes’ Commission . Being an Olympian and performing at four Olympic Games, I know like no other the needs of athletes to perform at their best. As a member of the Athletes' Commission, I will do my utmost to make a real difference, to ensure that the voice of the athletes is clearly heard, and to support the next generation of athletes to achieve their Olympic dream."

Hinkelien Schreuder, Chair of the NOC*NSF Athletes' Commission: "As an elite athlete Ireen is, more than anyone else, able to get things done. Her perseverance has made her the successful Olympian she is today. I am pleased she is determined to put her experience and skills at the service of the IOC Athletes' Commission. Ireen is a great peer, you can count on her; a real family person. I am convinced that with her drive and attitude she can make a huge difference for the athletes around the world and I wish Ireen all the best in Beijing."

Ireen Wüst made her career breakthrough in long-distance speed skating in 2005. She gained her first gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin. This victory made her the youngest Dutch Olympic champion at Winter Games ever. After her Olympic debut in Turin, Wüst represented the Netherlands at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Sochi and PyeongChang. At these Games she won a total of eleven medals, five of them gold. This makes Wüst the most successful Olympian in Dutch history and the fourth most successful Winter Olympic athlete ever. In December, she hopes to qualify for her fifth Olympic Games in a row.

During the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, around 3,000 athletes will have the opportunity to vote for their representatives in the IOC Athletes’ Commission. The two candidates, from two different sports, with the most votes will be elected. If elected, Wüst will use her Olympic experience to give Olympic athletes a clear voice in the IOC and to create together with her fellow commission members the right environment for athletes to perform at their best.