The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) announced that Carol Huynh (pronounced When), a gold medal-winning wrestler from Canada, has been elected chair of the newly-formed Athlete Commission and will represent the sport’s athletes on the FILA Bureau. She becomes the third woman on the organization’s governing body and part of the new direction FILA promised the International Olympic Committee when wrestling was reinstated as an Olympic sport on September 8.
Huynh was born in British Columbia, Canada, to ethnic Chinese refugees who emigrated from North Vietnam. She returned to her parent’s country to win a gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Her gold medal was Canada’s second medal ever in women’s wrestling and its first gold medal in the sport. She returned four years later to win a bronze medal in 2012 in London in the women’s 48 kg freestyle competition. She was inducted into the FILA Hall of Fame, on Sept. 20 , 2013 during the FILA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
She was part of the five-person team that presented wrestling’s case to the International Committee September 8 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that resulted in wrestling rejoining the Olympic program. She also spoke for the sport in March in St. Petersburg, Russia, when wrestling was one of the three sports the IOC Executive Board recommended to be forwarded to the full IOC Session.
“It's a great honor to have been elected by my peers to be on the Athletes’ Commission and to represent them on the FILA Bureau,” Huynh said. “It is an even greater responsibility to ensure that the athletes’ voice is heard. My goal as Athletes Commission Representative is to help cultivate an environment in our global wrestling community in which our athletes take an active role and interest in the governance of our sport.
“This role in governance for athletes is an important step for FILA,” she added. “It indicates that athletes are the main focus. With the collaboration of my fellow Athletes’ Commission members, I have high hopes and confidence in the direction of our New FILA.”
Read the full news release from FILA.