Named in January 2010, 18 members from the five continents make up the IOC Coordination Commission for the Rio 2016™ Olympic Games. Architect, lawyer, journalist, P. E. teacher, odontologist, engineer, business administrator, marketing professional, the Commission is made of professionals with various backgrounds that have one common denominator: the passion for sports.

Three world sports real living legends are part of the Commission, including its president, Nawal El Moutawakel, from Morocco. Nawal made Sports History by winning the gold medal at the inaugural women’s 400m hurdles event, which was held in Los Angeles 1984. She was the first female African athlete and first female Muslim to reach the top of the Olympic podium.

Holding a B.Sc. in Physical Education from Iowa State University, the 51-year old pioneering athlete was named Minister of Sports in her home country in 2007. An IOC member since 1998, Nawal has become, in January 2010, the first female Chairperson of an IOC Coordination Commission.

Nawal El Moutawakel and Carlos Arthur Nuzman greet workers at the Maracanã on the second day of the CoCom visit (Foto: Alex Ferro/Rio2016)

Gilbert Felli, from Switzerland, 65, is the Commission’s Executive Director. Holding a Degree in Architecture, he was a member of the Swiss ski team until 1968 and also worked as coach of the ski and ice hockey teams.

Five out of the eighteen professionals of the IOC multidisciplinary team are from the American continent, two from South America: Julio César Maglione, from Uruguay, 77, President of the Uruguayan Olympic Committee since 1987 and President of the International Swimming Federation (FINA in French) since 2009; and Jose Luis Campo, from Argentina, 55, P. E. teacher specialising in swimming for all kinds of disabilities, who became in 1997 the first President of the Americas Paralympic Committee (APC), a position he held until 2005.

There are three representatives from Central America, including one woman: Nicole Hoevertsz, who specialised in International Law in the University of Leyden, in the Netherlands. Among the positions she holds, the 48-year old lawyer is Permanent Secretary of the Council of Ministries of Aruba since 2009. A synchronised swimming athlete, Nicole was the coach of the Aruban duo and team in the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.

A former weightlifter and racketball player, Richard L. Carrión, from Puerto Rico, 60, is an IOC member since 1990. Willi Kaltschmitt Luján, from Guatemala, 73, is an IOC member since 1988. He is an aeroplane pilot and a former baseball player who pursued a diplomatic career – he was Ambassador to Cuba between 1998 and 2000 – and he also works as President of the World Taekwon-Do Federation Ethics Commission.

Apart from its Executive Director, the IOC Coordination Commission has other five European representatives. President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Francesco Ricci Bitti, from Italy, 71, holds a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering and was a professional tennis player between 1964 and 1971. IOC Vice-President between 2004 and 2008, Gunilla Lindberg, from Sweden, 65, is an IOC member since 1996 who is also part of the group. Just like Jackie Brock Doyle, from the UK, 57, that worked as Director of Communications and Public Affairs of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

The other two Europeans are Sergey Bubka, from Ukraine, and Alexander Popov, from Russia, two Olympic champions. With a Ph.D. in Pedagogy, Bubka is the greatest pole vaulter the world has ever known. The only athlete to win six World Championships in Track and Field History (Helsinki 1983, Rome 1987, Tokyo 1991, Stuttgart 1993, Gothenburg 1995 and Athens 1997), Bubka won a gold medal in the event held in the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games. Popov, the youngest of the group at 41, holds a Master’s Degree in Sports Coaching and was awarded nine medals in four Olympic editions, six gold medals and three silver ones.

The Commission also includes the first Israeli IOC member: Alex Gilady, who joined the International Olympic Committee in 1994. Among the numerous distinctions he received, Gilady was elected “Man of the Year” in Israel in 1977 and was awarded the Emmy prize for his TV coverage of the Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Games. Gilady also covered the Munich 1972 Games for Israeli TV and today is NBC Sports Senior Vice-President.

Other three members are from Asia. Nat Indrapana, from Thailand, 73, is a P. E. teacher. He is a former golfer and swimmer and was Vice-President of the International Taekwon-Do Federation, from 1999 until 2009; Ching-Kuo Wu, from Taiwan, is an architect and former basketball player who is also President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA in French); and Timothy Tsun Ting Fok, from China, 67, former football player and current President of the Hong Kong Football Association, in China.

President of the Australian Olympic Committee since 1990, John Dowling Coates, 62, is a lawyer who represents Oceania. A former rower, Coates’ life has been closely related to the Olympic Games since Montreal 1976, when he was the Australian Rowing Team coach.

The African representative in the IOC Coordination Committee for Rio 2016™ is Beatrice Allen, 62, first Vice-President of Gambia National Olympic Committee and is also the President of the country’s Softball Association.