Voted for by the athletes with a current IFSC licence, Canada’s Alannah Yip, Israel’s Alex Khazanov, Australia’s Campbell Harrison and Japan’s Miho Nonaka were chosen from 16 candidates – the most-ever for an Athletes' Commission vote – to join the existing and returning members.

The IFSC is committed to ensuring that its athletes have a central role in shaping the future of climbing and the number of candidates, as well as the highest number of votes, indicates the value the athletes put on the Commission to enable athletes’ voices to be heard and their direct experiences used for the improvement of the sport.

Upon successfully being voted onto the Commission Yip said: “I am so excited to have been elected to sit on the IFSC Athletes' Commission. Every decision made by the IFSC affects the athletes and it’s important to always try to act in the athletes’ best interests. With our sport growing so rapidly there is an ever-growing list of important topics to discuss and give input on.”

Australian Harrison hopes to contribute a better representation of the Oceania region, as well as other smaller climbing nations, now he is part of the Commission and said: “I believe it's important for the Athletes' Commission to represent all athletes, not just those who are highest in the rankings or live centrally to the majority of World Cup events. With a diverse range of perspectives, we can ensure that the governance of our sport appropriately serves all its members.”

Both Khazanov and Olympic medallist Nonaka feel after many years of experience in the sport it is their time to connect athletes and the IFSC to help develop and shape the future of the sport, both in their home nations and throughout the world.

IFSC President Marco Scolaris said: “I am pleased to see the Athletes’ Commission becoming stronger every election, and more representative of the community. We need to have climbers being able to actively participate in the development of the IFSC, growing together with the organisation and hopefully contributing to its leadership. On behalf of the IFSC Executive Board, I congratulate and welcome the new elected members and I can’t wait to work together with the new Commission.”

With applications closed on Friday 28 July, voting took place from 1 to 15 August, during the IFSC Climbing and Paraclimbing World Championships Bern 2023 with the highest turn out of votes in the history of the organisation – over 375 athletes.

Candidates from 12 countries put themselves forward for selection with the Commission now comprised of eleven members from ten different nations. 

The four new incumbents will join the returning members, USA’s Kyra Condie and Ukraine’s Jenya Kazbekova as well as existing members, Austria’s Jakob Schubert, Italy’s Michael Piccolruaz and Serbia’s Stasa Gejo who are in place until 2025.

The Commission is headed by President Shauna Coxsey from Great Britain, with Canada’s Sean McColl serving as Vice President. Both Coxsey and McColl sit on the IFSC Executive Board and are also in place until 2025.

The IFSC Executive Board, on behalf of the whole Sport Climbing community, would like to thank France’s Charlotte Durif, Japan’s Kokoro Fujii and Slovenia’s Gregor Vezonik who have helped progress the sport with their years of hard work and dedication as part of the Athletes’ Commission.