Singapore (pps) With three-time Olympic champion Georg Hackl from Germany, Great Britain’s Mark Hatton, athletes’ representative of the International Luge Federation (FIL), and Ruben Gonzales from Argentina, as many as three luge athletes apply for a seat in the Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). All three candidacies were accepted by the IOC Executive Board in Singapore. Altogether, 15 candidates will run for election during the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin.

The IOC Athletes’ Commission consists of a maximum of 19 athletes’ representatives. Twelve of them are elected, seven appointed by the President of the IOC. Eight of the twelve elected representatives are summer sports athletes, four of them winter sports athletes. In Turin, two new athletes’ representatives will be elected. The elected candidates will become full IOC members during their eight year term of office.

All candidates: Jacqui Cooper (Australia, freestyle), Ruben Gonzalez (Argentina, luge), Georg Hackl (Germany, luge), Mark Hatton (Great Britain, luge), Kwang-Bae Kang (South Korea, bobsleigh-skeleton), Saku Koivu (Finland, ice hockey), Janica Kostelic (Croatia, alpine skiing), Jaak Mae (Estonia, cross-country skiing), Corinne Niogret (France, biathlon), Kenji Ogiwara (Japan, nordic combination), Maria Jose Rienda (Spain, alpine skiing), Becky Scott (Canada, cross-country skiing), Adne Söndral (Norway, speed skating), Yan Yang (China, short track), and Pawel Zygmunt (Poland, speed skating).