World Rowing Athletes’ Commission appointed

At the World Rowing Championships, and World Rowing Coastal Championships & Beach Sprint Finals, participating athletes had the opportunity for the first time, to elect members of the World Rowing Athletes’ Commission.

The Athletes’ Commission (AC) serves to represent active elite rowers and to act as a liaison between World Rowing and the elite athlete community, concerning any issues affecting the sport of Rowing. Members serve a four-year term, with the nomination and election process taking place in the 2nd year following the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The AC is composed of ten (10) members, who are Active Athletes or Recently Retired Athletes, of which 5 would be elected and 5 appointed by the council. The mandate of the 10 members starts on 1 January 2023 for a 4 year period.

Of the 5 seats which were elected, 4 athletes (with 1 position reserved for para rowing) representing the classic or so called flatwater rowing were voted in at World Rowing Championships, and the remaining seat at the World Rowing Coastal Championships & Beach Sprint Finals:

• Emma Twigg, New Zealand
• Mindaugas Griskonis, Lithuania
• Niels van Zandweghe, Belgium
• Benjamin Pritchard, Great Britain (Para rowing representative)
• Esther Briz Zamorano, Spain (Coastal rowing representative)

Following the elections, the remaining five members were appointed by the World Rowing Council, taking into consideration different factors such as knowledge transfer (continuity), skills, gender balance and universality:

• Frida Svensson, Sweden (re-appointed)
• Julia Michalska-Plotkowiak, Poland (re-appointed)
• Robin Prendes, United States of America (re-appointed)
• Luke Letcher, Australia
• Nazanin Malaei, Iran

The representatives will have the opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns within the commission. The commission chair – who will be elected by the new Athletes Commission and ratified by the Council – will sit on the World Rowing Council and Executive Committee.