Spaniard Pau Gasol continues to climb the ranks in the structure of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). After assuming the presidency of the Athletes' Commission, he was officially appointed this Sunday as a new member of the IOC Executive Board, the highest decision-making body of the Olympic movement. The former basketball player, an IOC member since August 2, 2021, following the Tokyo Olympic Games, will now represent athletes within the Executive Board, replacing Finnish hockey player Emma Terho. Pau Gasol, from Olympic legend to IOC leader: Pau Gasol's Olympic career supports his new institutional role. The former Spanish international participated in five Olympic Games and won the silver medal in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, as well as the bronze in Rio 2016, establishing himself as one of the most influential athletes in Spanish sport. Now, as a member of the IOC Executive Board, he will have a direct voice in strategic decisions that impact global Olympism. Furthermore, she will continue to serve on the Ethics Commission and the Coordination Commission for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, a key event on the organization's agenda.

Key changes to the IOC structure after the 145th Session

During the 145th IOC Session, the election of South Korea's Yunjong Won (bobsleigh) and Estonia's Johanna Taliharm (biathlon) as new members of the organization was also confirmed.

In addition to Emma Terho, Norway's Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen and China's Hong Zhang completed their terms.

Following the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the IOC currently has 106 members, of whom 46 are women and 60 are men. Women represented 43.4% of the total. Of the members, 42 are Olympic athletes (23 women and 19 men), which reinforces the active presence of athletes in the structure of the Olympic movement.

New Honorary Members and Extraordinary Meeting in Lausanne

The Session also approved the appointment of Syed Shahid Ali of Pakistan and Robin E. Mitchell of Fiji as honorary members, who will receive this status on January 1, 2027.

It was also announced that an extraordinary meeting of the International Olympic Committee will be held on June 24 and 25 in Lausanne, the organization's headquarters, where new strategic guidelines for the next Olympic cycle could be defined.

With this appointment, Pau Gasol consolidates his position as an influential figure beyond the basketball court and becomes one of the most influential Spaniards within the IOC, at a key moment for the future of Olympism and the organization of Los Angeles 2028.