During a meeting at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) headquarters on Wednesday, Vladyslava Kravchenko of Malta was elected Chairperson, and Yoomin Won of South Korea was named Second Vice-Chair of the IPC Athletes’ Council.
Vladyslava Kravchenko has succeeded Jitske Visser as Chairperson, following Visser’s tenure from November 2021 to November 2024. Kravchenko will serve a four-year term until 2028 and, as Chair, will hold ex-officio membership on the IPC Governing Board with voting rights, according to an IPC release on Wednesday.
Yoomin Won was also elected as the Second Vice-Chair during the same meeting.
The IPC Athletes’ Council (AC) represents the collective voice of Paralympic and Para athletes within the IPC and the broader Paralympic Movement. It acts as an advisory body to the IPC Governing Board, carrying out tasks assigned by the Board.
Newly elected Chairperson Vladyslava Kravchenko is a Paralympian and Para swimmer who competed for Malta at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. She was re-elected to the IPC Athletes’ Council for a second term during the elections held at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Second Vice-Chair Yoomin Won, a Paralympian, is a highly accomplished athlete in wheelchair basketball, Para cross-country skiing, and Para biathlon. He represented the Republic of Korea at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games.
Josh Dueck of Canada, a Winter Games Paralympian, will continue serving as the first Vice-Chair. In this role, he also holds ex officio membership on the IPC Governing Board with voting rights.
Upon her election, Kravchenko shared: “My primary objective is to be a strong representative for Para athletes from countries where Para sport is underdeveloped, including small states, developing nations, regions in conflict, and countries with newly established National Paralympic Committees (NPCs). NPCs in these regions often lack the necessary infrastructure, funding, and support systems to nurture and develop Paralympians. I look forward to serving the Paralympic Movement in my new role and supporting the IPC’s strategic objective of driving impact through Para sport globally.”
IPC President Andrew Parsons congratulated Vladyslava Kravchenko and Yoomin Won on their election as Chairperson and Second Vice-Chairperson.
The IPC Athletes’ Council consists of nine athletes in total, including six summer athletes and three winter athletes. In addition to Kravchenko, the five summer sports members are: Martina Caironi (Italy, Para Athletics), Lenine Cunha (Portugal, Para Athletics), Denise Schindler (Germany, Para Cycling), Yuijao Tan (China, Para Powerlifting), and Yoomin Won (Rep. Korea, Wheelchair Basketball). The three winter sport council members are Josh Dueck (Canada, Para Alpine Skiing), Mitchell Gourley (Australia, Para Alpine Skiing), and Birgit Skarstein (Norway, Para Nordic Skiing).
In addition to the nine elected members, the IPC Athletes’ Council can appoint up to five additional members for two-year terms to ensure balance between gender, regions, sports, and disability groups. Currently, Grigoris Polychrondis (Greece, Boccia) holds one of these appointed positions.
Elections for the three winter sport athlete positions will take place at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in March 2026.
