| Following a great voting turnout by athletes at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, Valentina Toro (Chile), German Charaviglio (Argentina), Melissa Mojica (Puerto Rico) and Danusia Francis (Jamaica) were elected. |
| SANTIAGO, CHILE (November 10, 2023) — The representation of athletes in Sports Organizations is becoming increasingly important for the development of sport throughout the world. The International Olympic Committee and Panam Sports have led the charge in recent years, giving Athlete Commissions the place they deserve in the Executive Committees and Boards of Directors of Sports Organizations. During the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, elections were held for four new members of the Panam Sports Athlete Commission. A significant percentage of the athletes at the Games participated in the election, choosing four new members who will join the Commission to start the new year. During the 22 days that the athletes stayed in the Pan American Village, they were presented with a choice of eight candidates to join the Athlete Commission. After the 2,587 votes collected by athletes, the four new members were determined to be Santiago 2023 gold medalist in Karate from Team Chile, Valentina Toro, who earned 1,354 votes; the prominent Argentine pole vaulter German Charaviglio with 1,131; Melissa Mojica from Puerto Rico with 921 votes; and Jamaican Danusia Francis Reid with 892 votes. Panam Sports Athlete Commission President Aliann Pompey was pleased with the turnout and results of the election. “This year we had an increase in the number of people who voted for our 8 candidates. In the end, just under 50% of participating athletes voted for athletes from Argentina, Chile, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. We have a unique situation where a male candidate was not chosen among the top four candidates. Our Constitution require that there be a minimum of three men and three women members on the commission. This is why we will nominate a candidate for Commission approval during our meeting in December. The five returning members of the Commission are eligible to run for the position of President, and that election will be held at our first meeting. The date for this has yet to be determined,” Pompey said. “It has been an honor to work as a member of the Athlete Commission for the last eight years and last four as President. I wish Adriana Escobar and Carlos Santiago (who are leaving the Commission) the best in their future projects. I am very excited about all the wonderful things the new Commission will accomplish,” acknowledged AC President Aliann Pompey who will be leaving the Commission at the start of 2024. After this election, the athletes of Americas’ Olympic Movement will be represented by: Aliann Pompey (Guyana), Amber Joseph (Barbados), Paola Longoria (Mexico), Anthony Azevedo (United States), Melissa Humana-Paredes (Canada), Isabel Swan (Brazil) and the four new members Valentina Toro (Chile), German Charaviglio (Argentina), Melissa Mojica (Puerto Rico) and Danusia Francis (Jamaica). |
