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≡ WORLD ARCHERY ELECTIONS ≡
At the start of Wednesday’s second day of the World Archery Congress in Gwangju, Korea, 145 member federations decided on their next President:
● 208: Greg Easton (USA)
● 96: Tom Dielen (BEL)
Easton, 60, is the son of former World Archery President Jim Easton, who led the federation from 1989 and 2005 and overhauled the format, operations and fortunes of sport, retaining its place on the Olympic program and expanding its appeal and raising its profile.
He passed away in December 2023 at age 88.
He was replaced in 2005 by Dr. Ugur Erdener (TUR), who maximum term of 20 years concluded with this Congress, leading to the election. Dielen, 57, had been the federation’s Secretary General since 2006 and was well-liked and widely trusted not only within archery, but in multiple other roles in the Olympic Movement.
Greg Easton has been deeply involved in the sport since birth, and at every level, including as a Board member of USA Archery and World Archery. His platform emphasized more support for athletes and national federations, remaking events to be more attractive, inspirational and accessible to possible organizers and expanding the sport’s commercial appeal to fans, broadcasters and sponsors. He notes the need for better transparency, communications and responsiveness from the federation with the member national federations.
Both spoke briefly to the Congress following the vote, with Dielen thanking those who supported him and emphasizing his love affair with the sport and the positive changes which have taken place during his term, including the inclusion of a Compound bow event – a Mixed Team – in the Olympic program for Los Angeles 2028:
“I thank you. I’m sad that I can’t be your President, but I’ll see how I can help the sport in the future.”
Easton thanked Dielen for his efforts – past and future – for the sport, and in brief remarks, noted:
“Yesterday, I asked you to join me on this journey, and I want to thank you for joining me. I think together, we can make some great changes here at World Archery and continue to improve our sport and build on the great foundation that both Tom and Dr. Erdener created for us.
“The journey will be exciting, it will have its challenges, I also think it will be difficult with some of the changes, and I hope you all can remember this day, and the excitement we feel from this day and be ready for some of the changes that I think are necessary to help move our sport forward.”
Erdener has been a key player in the Olympic Movement well beyond archery, serving as a member of the International Olympic Committee since 2008, with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), the World Anti-Doping Agency board and others.
Easton becomes the fifth President of an Olympic-sport International Federation from the U.S., also including Rob Stull (modern pentathlon), David Haggerty (tennis), Bob DeMarco (lacrosse) and Beau Welling (curling).
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