Andrew Parsons Re-Elected IPC President for Final Term

Andrew Parsons has been re-elected as President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), securing a third and final four-year term at the organisation’s General Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday, 27 September.

Parsons, from Brazil, received 109 of 177 valid votes, defeating South Korea’s Dong Hyun Bae, who collected 68.

“I think it shows the confidence and trust of the IPC membership with the direction of where we are going with the Paralympic Movement,” Parsons said after the vote. “Being able to finish things I started in 2017, while also opening new projects and opportunities in my last four years, will be incredible.”

Parsons, 47, previously served as President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee and the Americas Paralympic Committee. He joined the IPC Governing Board in 2009, was elected Vice-President in 2013, and became the IPC’s third President in 2017.

During his presidency, he has overseen the delivery of four Paralympic Games—PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, and Paris 2024—and led the organisation through the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, the IPC extended its partnership with the International Olympic Committee through to 2032 and shifted its strategic focus towards strengthening member organisations and promoting the broader social impact of the Paralympic Movement.

At the same Assembly, members also elected Portugal’s Leila Marques Mota as First Vice-President and Denmark’s John Petersson as Second Vice-President. They replace New Zealand’s Duane Kale, who had reached the maximum number of terms on the IPC Governing Board.

Mota, a four-time Paralympian in swimming and current Vice-President of the Portuguese Paralympic Committee, described her election as “a deep honour,” pledging to serve with “active listening, integrity, transparency and close connection to everyone.”

Petersson, a five-time Paralympian in swimming and current President of NPC Denmark, said he was “absolutely blown away” by his election. “I have worked hard for many years to achieve this,” he said.

The Assembly postponed elections for Governing Board Members-at-Large due to time constraints. These will be concluded at a later Extraordinary General Assembly held remotely, the IPC confirmed.