XVII IFSC General Assembly
The XVII General Assembly of the IFSC took place from 23 to 25 April 2021, with 84 representatives gathering virtually from 56 different nations. The Assembly was initially expected to take place in Paris, France.
The first of three sessions opened with a video message from International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
A thorough report was presented by the IFSC Sport Department, opening with an overview of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, and then offering updates about development activities, competition formats, and the 2021 Climbing and Para Climbing World Championships, set to take place in Moscow, Russia.
Sebastian Depke, Chair of the IFSC Para Climbing Commission, provided a recap of the latest projects, while Sean McColl and Shauna Coxsey recapped the activities of the Athletes’ Commission and thanked the IFSC for their close communication over the last months. Anti-Doping Officer Paolo Orione reported on the work of the Federation to meet the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
The XXII IFSC General Assembly re-elected Marco Scolaris and Debbie Gawrych President and Secretary General, allowing them to oversee the Federation from the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 through to Paris 2024. The election of. renewed leadership was the main item of business during the three-day event.
Scolaris founded the IFSC in 2007 and has led the Federation since then. He was re-elected President for another four-year term through 2025. Scolaris stood unopposed for the position and was elected with 50 votes.
“Many of our accomplishments have been obtained thanks to the support of a great team of Board Members and staff,” Scolaris said. “Now that we have secured our place at two editions of the Olympic Games, it is time to also start working on ensuring that Sport Climbing is included at the Olympic and Paralympic Games LA28 and beyond.”
With her new mandate, Gawrych says she is determined to lead the organisation into an even stronger position in 2025. “My goals are to do everything in my power to give our organisation the solid foundations it deserves,” she said.
The full composition of the IFSC Executive Board elected in 2021 is the following:
| ROLE | NAME |
|---|---|
| President | Marco SCOLARIS |
| Secretary General | Debra GAWRYCH |
| Vice President | KOBINATA Toru |
| Vice President | Wolfgang WABEL |
| Treasurer | Pierre YOU |
| African Council Representative | George STAINTON |
| Asian Council Representative | LI Zhixin |
| Oceanian Council Representative | Romain THEVENOT |
| Pan American Council Representative | Maria IZQUIERDO |
| Athletes' Representative | Sean MCCOLL |
| Athletes' Representative | Shauna COXSEY |
Later in 2021, a new representative for the IFSC European Council was elected, while the ones representing Oceania and Pan America have been replaced.
The General Assembly also ratified the decision of the Executive Board to admit two new members into the Federation representing Croatia and Puerto Rico.
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