"VAN" (Sports Desk - 08.10.2026) :: Transitioning to life after sport has long been a prickly issue for professional athletes. German two-time Olympic gold medallist Moritz Fürste described the moment of retirement as “scary”. This is why the “athlete-first” philosophy of the IOC has continued to evolve to ensure adequate support for athletes in their sporting careers and beyond.
“Athletes” is one of the five themes addressed in the IOC’s recently-approved Fit for the Future strategy with a commitment to improving athlete representation across all sports organisations, enhancing the athlete experience at the Olympic Games, and providing services that enable them to thrive both on and off the field of play.
MAKING ATHLETES' COMMISSIONS MANDATORY The IOC Athletes' Commission chair Pau Gasol joined the SportAccord Forum via video on Tuesday (6 October) to explain the involvement of the athletes in the consultation process, underlining the importance of “increasing our ability to connect with them”. Making athletes’ commissions mandatory across all sports organisations is one of the IOC’s key commitments in its strategic direction towards 2032.
“I think every NOC and every IF has its own reality. Some are better than others and they have different challenges that we have to face uniquely. That’s why we are strengthening the athletes network,” said Gasol.
Gasol, a five-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medallist, officially retired from professional basketball on October 5, 2021, at age 41. The Spanish basketball legend joined the IOC Athletes' Commission in August of the same year and was elected chair of the commission in February 2026.
LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT Speaking about some of the commission’s current priorities, Gasol said they are trying to engage with the IOC’s commercial partners “to see how we can unlock value for the athletes”. He also added that they are enhancing educational opportunities to expose athletes to "the broader spectrum of things in life". He said athletes “bring a lot to the table” and are equipped with capabilities that are “very very useful to any professional environment and any team”.
Gasol said: “I was very lucky to play until I was 41 years old so that gave me extra time to prepare and build things and be mature enough. But that is not the case for a lot afterwards. So we are educating athletes during their competitive years so that they can start thinking about what they want to pursue afterwards.” He also pointed out that a lot of mental health issues stem from the inability to navigate life after retirement.
A MISCONCEPTION Field hockey legend Fürste, the co-founder of fitness sport Hyrox, said he always tries to advise the younger generation that while focusing on their career and enjoying their athletic gift they should also prepare for their future. “I mean, if you’re playing in the NBA, you might not care so much,” he added, drawing attention to the fact some sports are more lucrative than others. “People see you on TV and they think that you must be super rich. That’s not the truth but it’s super difficult to change that perception, to explain to the people. What they see is someone doing sports every four years in the Olympics and assume that the person is settled.”
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