The International Olympic Committee (IOC) made important decisions during the 144th Session held in Costa Navarino, Greece. These included the election of a new Vice-President, changes to the Executive Board (EB), and updates to IOC membership. Additionally, several individuals were recognized for their contributions to the Olympic Movement.

Baron Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant (Belgium) was elected as the new IOC Vice-President, succeeding Nicole Hoevertsz (Aruba), whose term concludes at the end of this session. His term will officially begin after the conclusion of the 144th Session.

Additionally, Spyros Capralos (Greece) and Octavian Morariu (Romania) were elected as new members of the IOC Executive Board, replacing Robin E. Mitchell (Fiji) and Denis Oswald (Switzerland), whose terms have ended. Emma Terho (Finland) and Kristin Kloster (Norway) were re-elected for a second term on the Executive Board. Each EB term lasts four years.

TONY ESTANGUET ELECTED AS AN IOC MEMBER

Tony Estanguet (France), a three-time Olympic canoeing champion and President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, was elected as an IOC Member.

Estanguet was elected as an Independent Individual, in accordance with Rule 16.1.1 of the Olympic Charter, which allows for up to seven members to be elected without nationality or National Olympic Committee (NOC) requirements.

RE-ELECTION OF IOC MEMBERS AND TERM EXTENSIONS

Ten IOC Members, whose eight-year terms were about to expire, were re-elected for a new term, with age limits taken into account:

• HSH Princess Nora of Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein)
• Shamil Tarpishchev (Russia)
• Ser Miang Ng (Singapore)
• Juan Antonio Samaranch (Spain)
• Lydia Nsekera (Burundi)
• Baklai Temengil (Palau)
• Kristin Kloster (Norway)
• Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul (Thailand)
• Jean-Christophe Rolland (France)
• Ingmar De Vos (Belgium)

Additionally, a four-year extension was approved for Spyros Capralos (Greece), whose term will now run until the end of 2029.

CHANGES IN MEMBERSHIP STATUS

The IOC approved changes in the membership status of three members:

• Mehrez Boussayene (Tunisia) transitioned from NOC-related membership to Independent Individual.
• Neven Ilic (Chile) transitioned from NOC-related membership to Independent Individual.
• Ingmar De Vos (Belgium) transitioned from IF-related membership to membership linked to an Association of IFs.

HONORARY MEMBERS AND HONOUR MEMBERS

The session elected two members as Honorary Members whose terms are coming to an end:

• Marisol Casado (Spain), starting April 22, 2025, after concluding her term as President of World Triathlon.
• Zaiqing Yu (China), starting January 1, 2026.

Additionally, two new personalities were elected as IOC Honour Members:

• Ban Ki-moon: Former United Nations Secretary-General and Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission, recognized for his support of the Olympic Movement and alignment with UN principles. He will become an Honour Member starting June 24, 2025.
• Francesco Ricci Bitti: Former President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), recognized for his leadership in promoting the autonomy and unity of sport. He becomes an Honour Member immediately.

RE-ELECTION OF IOC ETHICS COMMISSION MEMBERS

Two members of the IOC Ethics Commission were re-elected for a four-year term:

• Laura Chinchilla (Costa Rica), in her capacity as an IOC Member.
• Hanqin Xue (China), as an independent member.