Kim Rhode Elected ISSF Athletes Committee Chair

At the 52nd ISSF World Championship in Changwon, Korea, the organization’s Executive Committee met and received the results of the ISSF Athletes Committee election. Six-time Olympic medalist and NRA Board Member Kim Rhode received the highest number of votes, and as such, the Executive Committee appointed her the ISSF Athletes Committee Chairwoman. Rhode will begin her new job immediately.

In 2017, Rhode earned Shooter of the Year honors from USA Shooting, and was also named Shooter of the Year by the ISSF.

The election was supervised by the World Championship Jury of Appeal. Outgoing Athletes Committee Chairman, Abhinav Bindra and IOC Athletes Commission member, Danika Bartekova, both served as vote counting witnesses. In a move akin to the Oscars, the results were placed in a sealed envelope and handed to the ISSF President at the Executive Committee meeting, where the President presented the results to Committee members.

In addition to Rhode, the trio of Daniele Di Spigno (Italy, Shotgun), Christian Reitz (Germany, Pistol) and Cassio Cesar Rippel (Brazil, Rifle) were added to the ranks of the Athletes Committee. The three received the highest number of votes and thus earned automatic spots.

Additionally, ISSF regulations require the Executive Committee to appoint three members to the Athletes Committee from eligible candidates. The reason these members are appointed is, according to the ISSF, “to achieve gender parity and parity among the disciplines.” The number of votes for each candidate was also taken into consideration. The three additional members named were Olena Kostevych (Ukraine, Pistol), Elena Allen (Great Britain, Shotgun) and Petar Gorsa (Croatia, Rifle).

To conclude the meeting, the Executive Committee reviewed guidelines for the upcoming November ISSF elections.

Lead photo courtesy of ISSF