London will host the 8th European Olympic Committees -EOC- Athletes’ Forum and Assembly on Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 November, bringing together athlete representatives from 49 National Olympic Committees -NOCs- both in person and online. During the Assembly, elections will take place for the EOC Athletes’ Commission for the 2025–2029 term, featuring 18 candidates from summer and winter sports.
The event will serve as a platform for dialogue on key topics such as representation, integrity and communication, reinforcing the role of athletes at the heart of the European Olympic Movement. “This Forum and Assembly is a cornerstone of our commitment to athlete representation,” said Spyros Capralos, EOC President.
A platform for representation and decision-making
The EOC Athletes’ Forum is part of a long-standing tradition that has been held for over a decade, with previous editions in Dublin, Rome and Madrid focused on empowerment, communication and cooperation among national athletes’ commissions. Its purpose is twofold: to serve as a meeting place for national representatives and to act as an electoral assembly for the EOC Athletes’ Commission, which sits on the EOC Executive Committee and contributes to governance and development decisions.
The Forum will feature addresses from Spyros Capralos, EOC Secretary General Carlo Mornati, IOC Executive Board and EOC Executive Committee Member Emma Terho, and EOC Athletes’ Commission Chair Alistair Brownlee. Also speaking will be Gaby Ahrens, Chair of the ANOCA Athletes’ Commission and Member of the WADA Athlete Committee, along with Olivier Niamkey, Associate Director of Olympic Solidarity, who will host a Q&A session with participants.
Preventing manipulation and improving communication
The agenda includes sessions on preventing competition manipulation and social media strategies for Athletes’ Commissions, two topics considered essential for athlete protection, education and public engagement. These will be complemented by workshops on digital communication, inter-commission cooperation and integrity in sport.
“This Forum is a crucial opportunity for athlete representatives across Europe to help shape the future of our Commission,” said Alistair Brownlee. “The voices and perspectives of those elected will ensure that athletes’ interests are represented at the highest levels of European sport.”
Elections and composition of the new Athletes’ Commission
Elections for the EOC Athletes’ Commission 2025–2029 will be held on the Forum’s second day, with 16 candidates from summer sports and two from winter sports. Each National Athletes’ Commission may cast one vote per position, selecting six summer sport representatives, while the two winter sport candidates will automatically join the new Commission.
Among the summer sport candidates are Zorana Arunovic (Serbia, shooting), Michelle Coleman (Sweden, swimming), Eda Erdem Dündar (Türkiye, volleyball), Raffaella Masciadri (Italy, basketball), Allison Pineau (France, handball) and Mykhailo Romanchuk (Ukraine, swimming). Winter sport candidates include Dinos Jr. Lefkaritis (Cyprus, alpine skiing) and Johanna Taliharm (Estonia, biathlon).
Cooperation and development within the European Olympic Movement
Throughout its editions, the EOC Athletes’ Forum has helped strengthen the network of National Athletes’ Commissions and their influence within the European Olympic system. The 2019 edition in Dublin highlighted the importance of “keeping athletes at the centre of every decision.” This year’s hybrid format allows participation from across Europe, promoting exchange of best practices and institutional collaboration.
In addition to the key thematic debates, the Forum will also address the funding of athlete support programmes, career transition policies and cooperation mechanisms with Olympic Solidarity, in line with the priorities of the International Olympic Committee -IOC-.
