The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced the names of a record 22 athletes who will run for election for the IPC Athletes’ Council at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Elections for the six summer sport representatives on the Athletes’ Council will take place between 5 and 16 September, in the Proud Paralympian area of the Athletes’ Dining Hall in the Paralympic Village.

A candidate brochure providing more information on each candidate and further information about the elections will be published in the upcoming weeks.

The 22 candidates are:

•Monica Bascio (USA, Para cycling)

•Eimear Breathnach (Ireland, Para table tennis)

•David Casinos Sierra (Spain, Para athletics)

•Ferenc Csuri Nandor (Hungary, Para swimming)

•Sven Decaesstecker (Belgium, Para swimming)

•Lucy Ejike (Nigeria, Para powerlifting)

•Kurt Fearnley (Australia, Para athletics)

•Marcio Fernandes (Cape Verde, Para athletics)

•Gizem Girismen (Turkey, Para archery)

•Chelsey Gotell (Canada, Para swimming)

•Philipp Handler (Switzerland, Para athletics)

•Suk Man Hong (South Korea, Para athletics)

•Michael Jeremiasz (France, wheelchair tennis)

•Nurulasyiqah Mohammad Taha (Singapore, Boccia)

•Tim Prendergast (New Zealand, Para athletics)

•Siamand Rahman (Iran, Para powerlifting)

•Moran Samuel (Israel, Para rowing)

•Marc Schuh (Germany, Para athletics)

•Elvira Stinissen (Netherlands, sitting volleyball)

•Dame Sarah Storey (Great Britain, Para cycling)

•Ernst van Dyk (South Africa, Para cycling)

•Yanzhang Wang (China, Para athletics)

The IPC Electoral Commission will be chaired by Linda Mastandrea (Chairperson IPC Legal and Ethics Committee).

The Athletes’ Council acts as the liaison between athletes and decision-makers and influences how Paralympic sport and the Movement grow and develop. Athletes are encouraged to vote in the elections to ensure their voice is heard and their sport and region is represented.

All candidates are active Paralympic athletes. This means he or she must compete in the current edition of the Paralympic Games at which the election is taking place, or have competed in either of the previous two editions of the Paralympic Games (Beijing 2008 and London 2012).