WFDF is pleased to announce the results of the 2016 elections to its Athletes` Commission, where John McNaughton (AUS), Alison Smith (GBR) and Felix Angue (PHI) were chosen out of a field of five candidates. The election voters were the athletes participating in the WFDF 2016 World Ultimate and Guts Championships that was concluded on Saturday 26 June in London. The three were chosen to serve on the Athletes’ Commission for a term running from 2016 to 2020.
They join the three incumbent members of the Athletes’ Commission who were elected at the WFDF 2014 World Ultimate Club Championships (WUCC) in Lecco, Italy: Commission chair Ryan Purcell (RSA), Julian Bocanegra (COL) and Véronique Riopel (CAN). Riopel had recently replaced outgoing Commission member Gwen Ambler (USA) to serve on her remainder of term until 2018. The Commission is now composed of six members representing all five continents and featuring two female and four male Commission members.
“WFDF’s administration always has put great emphasis on the opinion of the athletes by conducting event participant surveys after each major event and taking into consideration Athletes’ feedback within its decision making processes, in addition to have several of our board members still be active athletes,” stated WFDF President Robert “Nob” Rauch. “We are pleased to see that this years’ elections have brought WFDF completely in line with the recently issued IOC guidelines relating to the creation of an IF athletes’ commission.”
WFDF Athletes’ Commission chair Ryan Purcell added that “on behalf of current Athletes Commission members Julian Bocanegra and Véronique Riopel, I am honored to welcome Alison, Felix, and John to the Athletes’ Commission. We feel very good about the broad geographic, gender, and division representation now on the Commission, and are ready to get to work supporting and strengthening athlete-focused programs and activities within WFDF. Many thanks to the three new members for their willingness to step forward; it is this type of community-driven leadership that continues to push flying disc sports forward while helping to maintain the unique characteristics that make it so special to all of us.”