News & Updates

The Athletics NZ Athletes’ Commission (AC) has welcomed Paralympic long jump champion Anna Grimaldi, Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathoner Malcolm Hicks and London and Rio Olympian Lucy Oliver as new members.

The commission comprises a total of nine members including four automatic members as members of other relevant Athletes’ Commissions – Dame Valerie Adams (World Athletics AC Deputy Chair), Sarah Cowley Ross (NZOC AC Chair), Quentin Rew (Oceania Athletics AC Deputy Chair) and Anna Grimaldi (PNZ AC member). Note, Anna has only recently been appointed as a PNZ AC member hence she becomes a new member of the Athletics NZ Athletes’ Commission.

With five candidates for election (Eliza McCartney, Tom Walsh, Julia Ratcliffe, Malcolm Hicks and Lucy Oliver) and a maximum of nine on the Athletes’ Commission no election was required.

Athletics NZ Athletes’ Commission chair Dame Valerie Adams said: “I’m really excited to welcome our new members Lucy Oliver, Malcolm Hicks and Anna Grimaldi to the Athletics NZ Athletes Commission. We have a great line up of athletes past and present and its honour for me to chair this group as we ensure our voices as high performance athletes are heard and be part of a two way communication channel with Athletics NZ.  All of our members are fantastic role models in the athletics community and we’re proud to serve our fellow athletes.”

A rotation system has been initiated so several AC positions come up for election every two years.

Athletics NZ CEO Pete Pfitzinger said: “Please join me in welcoming the new Athletics NZ AC members and thanking the AC for their service to you the athletes for the Paris 2024 cycle.”

The Athletes’ Commission provides a mechanism for the views of high performance athletes to be heard and helps to ensure athlete wellbeing is appropriately considered by Athletics NZ.