First woman elected IAAF vice-president, record number in council

Colombia's Ximena Restrepo (right) on Wednesday became the first woman to be elected vice-president of the ruling athletics body IAAF. Photo: @iaaforg via Twitter

Colombia's Ximena Restrepo (right) on Wednesday became the first woman to be elected vice-president of the ruling athletics body IAAF. Photo: @iaaforg via Twitter

Published Sep 25, 2019

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DOHA – Colombia's Ximena Restrepo on Wednesday became the first

woman to be elected vice-president of the ruling athletics body IAAF.

In addition, six other woman were elected as ordinary members into

the powerful IAAF council for the biggest female representation the

federation has ever seen at the top with now eight members.

The IAAF has gender equality on the field of play and aims to achieve

the same by 2027 within the organization.

The eight women on the 27-strong council are two more than a

mandatory six under new regulations.

The elected ordinary members are Anna Riccardi of France, Morocco's

Nawal el Moutawakel, Dutch Sylvia Barlag, Beatrice Ayikoru of Uganda,

Abby Hoffman of Canada and Wang Nan of China.

The eighth woman will be a yet to be named athletes' representative,

and the number could even grow to nine if Oceania sends a woman as

area representative to replace Geoffrey Gardner who was elected

vice-president.

Restrepo, who won a first ever Olympic athletics medal for Colombia

with a 400 metres bronze in 1992, praised freshly re-elected IAAF

president Sebastian Coe for his role on the road to equality.

"I am really honoured. I am here because of you and the changes made.

Women have more opportunities now. I hope I can do a good job," she

said.

Coe himself highlighted the road to 2027 and said "it is important

that sport looks like the world."

dpa

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