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."