Africa-Press – Kenya. Former Kenya rugby sevens skipper Humphrey Kayange has been elected second vice-chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission, a significant milestone in his growing influence within the Olympic movement.
The new leadership team, chosen during the IOC AC meeting in Milan, will serve through to the LA28 Olympic Games. Spain’s basketball star Pau Gasol was elected as chair, with Poland’s cyclist Maja Włoszczowska retaining her role as first vice-chair.
Canada’s Oluseyi Smith fills a newly created third vice-chair position. Kayange, who joined the IOC Athletes’ Commission at Tokyo 2020, has steadily risen through the ranks.
He was appointed to the Coordination Commission for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in 2022 and became its chair in 2025, reflecting the trust placed in his leadership at the global level.
Gasol, a five-time Olympian with silver medals from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and a bronze from Rio 2016, brings vast experience to the role. Since his election to the IOC AC at Tokyo 2020, he has also served on the IOC Coordination Commission for LA28 and the IOC Ethics Commission.
As chair, Gasol will sit on the IOC Executive Board, ensuring athletes’ voices are represented at the highest level. Włoszczowska, a four-time Olympian and double silver medallist, continues as first vice-chair after being elected to the Commission at Tokyo 2020 and later to her vice-chair role at Paris 2024.
She has also served on the IOC Athletes’ Entourage Commission since 2022. Smith, who joined the IOC AC in 2022, uniquely represented Canada at both Summer and Winter Games—competing in the 4x100m relay at London 2012 and in bobsleigh at PyeongChang 2018, finishing sixth in the four-man event. He also participates in the IOC Young Leaders programme.
Gasol succeeds Emma Terho, first elected to the IOC AC at PyeongChang 2018 and chair since Tokyo 2020, making her the longest-serving female chair in the Commission’s history.
Terho congratulated the new leadership and expressed pride in the Commission’s achievements. For Kenya, Kayange’s elevation marks another significant step in his journey as one of the country’s most influential figures in global sports governance.
