Chinese figure skating champion Han Cong is set to compete off the ice, as he joins 10 other athletes in running for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Han, alongside his gold medal-winning partner Sui Wenjing, recently announced their return to competition next season, marking their comeback since their triumphant victory at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
The IOC Executive Board has approved 11 candidates, comprising eight men and three women from five different sports and 11 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), to vie for two available positions on the commission. The elected athletes will serve eight-year terms, influencing decisions that impact athletes worldwide.
Voting will be open to all athletes participating in the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, starting January 30 and closing on February 18. The results are expected to be announced the following day.
The two successful candidates must receive the most votes from athletes across at least two different sports disciplines. They will replace Emma Terho of Finland (Ice Hockey) and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen of Norway (Cross-Country Skiing), whose terms conclude during the Games.
Following the election, the commission will also select a new chair and two vice chairs, further shaping the future of athlete representation within the IOC.
