Former South Korean bobsledder Won Yun-jong, newly elected to the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee, poses for photos during a press conference at Korea House in Milan, Feb. 20. Yonhap

MILAN — While preparing for a career as a bobsleigh pilot, Won Yun-jong knew little about sports diplomacy. It wasn't until his Winter Games debut at Sochi 2014 that he first learned of former Olympians representing their peers on the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Then four years later at PyeongChang 2018, Won had his eureka moment, as he watched Ryu Seung-min, the 2004 Olympic table tennis champion, hard at work as an Athletes' Commission member.

Fast forward to 2026. Won, the 2018 Olympic silver medalist, was elected to the commission on Thursday in Milan, on the sidelines of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Won, 40, is the third South Korean to serve on the commission, following Ryu and the 2004 taekwondo gold medalist Moon Dae-sung.

Won led 11 candidates by receiving 1,176 votes from 2,393 Olympians who cast their ballots here.

"Ryu Seung-min left a lasting impression on me back in 2018, as he worked so hard as a sports diplomat and also contributed to the development of Korean sports," Won said at a press conference at Korea House in Milan on Friday. Ryu is now president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC). "And when an opportunity came up for me to run for a spot on the commission, I didn't even hesitate."

Athletes' Commission members serve an eight-year term, but otherwise have the same responsibilities and rights as other IOC members. Won is now one of two South Korean IOC members, joining Kim Jae-youl.

After retiring from bobsleigh in 2022, Won dabbled in sports administration by serving on athletes' commissions for both the KSOC and the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation. Won honed his English skills while living in Canada -- an ability to communicate effectively in English or French, the two official working languages of the IOC, is a must for all Athletes' Commission members -- and he made sure to spend as much time around athletes as he could.

And during his campaign for the IOC election, Won visited multiple athletes' villages scattered across northern Italy during the most spread-out Olympics in history, at times braving treacherous conditions in the mountains. He sometimes spent up to 15 hours a day on his feet, which he said wasn't ideal for his knees and back, but it all proved worthwhile in the end.

"When I was named one of 11 candidates at first, I wasn't sure how I should approach my campaign, because bobsleigh isn't the most recognizable sport and I wasn't such a well-known figure," Won said. "The one thing I kept in mind from the beginning was that I wanted to do everything from the heart. I wanted to meet athletes in person and hear what they have to say. And thankfully, I was able to stick with that approach from start to finish, and I think it resonated with the voters."

Source: Korea Times News