Pau Gasol Elected Chair of IOC Athletes’ Commission

Milan, Italy – February 20, 2026 – Two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol has been elected by Olympic athletes to chair the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission. The election took place during a meeting in Milan, Italy, as part of the ongoing Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games .

Gasol’s Role and Responsibilities

Gasol will also represent the athletes on the IOC Executive Board through the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games . He succeeds Emma Terho of Finland, who has served as chair since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and will conclude her term at the end of the Milano Cortina 2026 Games .

In addition to his new role as Chair, Gasol will continue to serve as a member of the IOC’s Ethics Commission and the Coordination Commission for the Los Angeles 2028 Games .

Olympic Career and Background

A five-time Olympian representing Spain, Gasol has won silver medals in men’s basketball at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. He was initially elected as an IOC member by athletes at the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021 . Gasol was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Gasol is the first male athlete to hold the IOC board seat in 14 years, following Emma Terho and Angela Ruggiero (ice hockey), Claudia Bokel (fencing), and Kirsty Coventry (swimming) .

New Appointments to the Athletes’ Commission

The election of Gasol followed the recent appointments of Yunjong Won (South Korea, bobsleigh) and Johanna Talihärm (Estonia, biathlon) to the IOC Athletes’ Commission at Milano Cortina .

Gasol expressed his enthusiasm for the role, stating, “This is a big moment to be able to take on the responsibility of leading our commission” .