Table tennis star Ryu Seung-min elected to IOC's Athletes' Commission

Table tennis star Ryu Seung-min elected to IOC's Athletes' Commission. August. 20, 2016 07:11. by 리우데자네이루=이헌재 기자uni@donga.com. Ryu Seung-min (34), the 2004 Athens Olympic Games gold medalist in men’s singles table tennis, was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission. He has been working as a coach for Samsung Life Insurance’s table tennis team.

Ryu garnered the second most votes among a total of 23 candidates in a vote for new IOC Athletes’ Commission members at the Olympic Village located in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday local time.

In a vote for four new commission members, German fencer Britta Heidemann, Hungarian swimmer Daniel Gyurta, and Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva were elected to the members along with Ryu. Now he became the second member of the Athletes’ Commission in South Korea following Moon Dae-sung, the taekwondo star, who got the seat at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Moon’s term is set to expire soon.

His admission to the IOC membership will be a big boost to the South Korean sports. The country is now busy to prepare for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. IOC Athletes' Commission members have a single eight-year term. But they are entitled to the same rights and duties with IOC members. The Athletes’ members cast votes on multiple IOC agendas determined at IOC General Assembly and participate in selecting Olympic host cities and the list of Olympic games.

“I’ll try my best to contribute to the advancement of Korean sports," Ryu said. "After my eight-year term ends, I aspire to become a regular IOC member.”