China's Wang Nan becomes first Asian woman to be IAAF council member

Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) vice director Wang Nan became the first Asian woman to be elected council member of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) here on Wednesday.

Wang collected 122 out of 206 votes to become the individual council member at the 52nd IAAF Congress ahead of the Doha World Championships which kicks off on Friday and runs through to October 6 in the Qatari capital.

Chinese Athletics Association (CAA) vice director Wang Nan at the IAAF Congress in Doha, Qatar on Sep 25, 2019. [Photo: athletics.org.cn]

"I consider the successful election a recognition from the world athletics family for China," said Wang, who was the fourth Chinese to hold the post following Lou Dapeng, Luo Chaoyi and Du Zhaocai and she is the first ever Asian woman to enter the IAAF Council.

"In the future, the CAA will keep fulfilling its obligation and honoring its commitment, better communicate with the world athletics family and raise the level of the sport in China," she said.

In earlier elections of the day, British Sebastian Coe was re-elected to his second term as president of the IAAF by unanimous votes.

Ximena Restrepo, who won Colombia's first athletics medal at the 1992 Olympic Games, was voted the first female vice president of IAAF.

The other vice presidents are pole vault legend Sergei Bubka of Ukraine, Geoffrey Gardner of Norfolk Island and Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.