Two flag football athletes who have led their respective national teams to glory in international competition participated at the IOC International Athletes’ Forum (IAF) in Lausanne, Switzerland, this week.
Mexico quarterback Diana Flores, the Chair of the IFAF Athletes Committee and Great Britain’s Phoebe Schecter, Chair of the IFAF Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, were among more than 400 athlete representatives gathered in Lausanne for the 12th IAF.
Flores won the 2022 The World Games title with Mexico in Birmingham, Alabama, and claimed the silver medal at the 2023 IFAF Americas continental championships and the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships. Schecter is a member of the reigning European champion Great Britain women’s national team.
Hosted by the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission, athlete representatives from 200 National Olympic Committees, 54 International Federations, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Paralympic Committee, Organising Committees for the upcoming Olympic Games and Continental Associations of NOCs, and members of the Athletes' Declaration Steering Committee attended to discuss some of the most pressing athlete-related topics.
The forum is the largest gathering of athlete representatives from sports across the world. It provides an opportunity to connect with peers and discuss in person the issues that are most important to athletes.
The Forum was particularly special as IOC President-elect Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion in swimming and former IOC AC Chair, was in attendance.
She emphasised the role of athletes in the Olympic Movement and society, saying: “We play an important role, whether it is on the global stage or at home in our community. As athletes, we are all ambassadors. We are all role models. In order for us to continue to help inspire a younger generation, we need to ensure that we continue to make good decisions for our athletes, to ensure that we create an incredible platform which is the Olympic Games for all of our athletes to succeed, and to be able to leverage those Games for themselves and their communities and in their sports.”
IFAF is continuing to strengthen the role of athletes at the heart of decision-making: this summer, the first centralised elections will be held for the IFAF Athletes’ Committee, bringing together the men’s and women’s game, and tackle and flag football, in the same election process. From July, all eligible IFAF athletes will be able to register to vote online in these elections.
