Double Olympic champion Joanna Rowsell MBE has been appointed as the new Chair of the British Olympic Association’s Athletes’ Commission.
The former cyclist, who won team pursuit gold at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, was elected to the role by members of the BOA’s Athletes’ Commission following a competitive recruitment process.
Rowsell was first appointed to the Commission as a member in 2016, where she served a five-year term. She will return to take up the role as Chair in early 2027, when she will also become a full Board member of the BOA as an athletes’ representative, following a handover period with outgoing Chair Lizzie Simmonds.
Simmonds, who will conclude her final term as Chair at the end of 2026, first took on the role in 2022. Across her tenure, her contributions helped ensure the athlete voice remained central to the BOA’s activities and operations, most notably in the planning for the Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of the BOA, said: “It is wonderful to welcome Jo back to Team GB in her new role as the Chair of the Athletes’ Commission. I had the pleasure of working with her when we were both members of the Commission and I know how passionate she is about the experience of the athlete and the wider Olympic movement. Jo will be a fantastic leader of the Commission, and I am confident she will become an invaluable member of the BOA Board ensuring the athlete experience is at the heart of our decision-making. She is following in the impressive footsteps of Lizzie, who continues to set an incredibly high bar in all that she does, and will be hugely missed.”
Lizzie Simmonds said: “I'm delighted to welcome Jo as the next Chair of the Athletes' Commission. She was outstanding throughout the interview process and brings experience from right across the sporting system – as an athlete, a former Commission member, and in her roles since retiring – giving her a real understanding of what matters to athletes and how to make their voice count. I have every confidence she'll be a superb Chair.
“I'm looking forward to working closely with Jo over the next five months to hand over and get her fully up to speed before she takes on the role at the beginning of next year. Chairing the Commission has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, and I'm hugely proud of what we've achieved in strengthening the Team GB athlete voice. I know the group will be in excellent hands."
Joanna Rowsell said: “I am incredibly honoured to have been elected Chair of the Team GB Athletes' Commission. Team GB has played such an important role in my sporting journey, so it means a great deal to have the opportunity to give back in this way and represent the voices of athletes across the Olympic community.
“Having previously served on the Athletes' Commission for five years, I've seen first-hand the positive impact it can have in ensuring athletes' experiences and perspectives help shape the decisions that affect them. I'm excited to build on that experience as Chair and to work alongside my fellow Commission members, the BOA Board and leadership team to ensure the athlete voice continues to be at the heart of decision making.
“I'd also like to thank Lizzie for her outstanding leadership. She leaves the Commission in an incredibly strong position, and I'm excited to build on everything she has achieved."
The British Olympic Association (BOA) Athletes’ Commission is a Committee of the BOA Board created to bring the perspective and expertise of athletes to the many initiatives and programmes operated by the BOA. It was formed in 2010 and meets every two months.
The Commission has 13 members in total, made up of a mixture of past and present athletes from team and individual, summer and winter sports. The Chair is responsible for feeding the views of the Commission back to the BOA Board. The Chair and Vice-Chair are also athlete representatives on the BOA’s National Olympic Committee (NOC).