Just weeks after being elected at the World Championships in Hungary, the new IJF Athletes’ Commission held its inaugural meeting on Saturday, 19 July 2025, appointing Kim Polling as its chair.

Polling, who retired from competition in early 2025 after a celebrated 15-year career, joins a newly elected group that includes Jasmine Martin (Africa), Ryunosuke Haga (Asia), Nathan Katz (Oceania), and Ivan Felipe Silva Morales (Pan America). With this election, Kim Polling will also hold a seat on the IJF Executive Board as Chair of the Athlete Commission.

During her campaign, Polling pledged to focus on athlete wellbeing and the transition to life beyond competition. Drawing from her own recent retirement experience, she has called for more robust structures to support judokas both during and after their careers.

“I want to make sure the athletes are truly heard. I know how much work goes into living this life. I have been there, and I am still living the consequences of it, both positive and negative,”

She said during the campaign.

Born in Zevenhuizen, Netherlands, in 1991, Polling rose to prominence in the under-70 kilogram division, winning four European Championship titles, several IJF World Masters gold medals, and a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships. She competed for the Netherlands at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and after becoming an Italian citizen in 2024, represented Italy at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Since retiring, she has settled in Milan with her husband, Italian judoka Andrea Regis, and their daughter Aurora. Away from the mat, she now teaches Dutch language and culture at the NTC Erasmus school.

With the new Athletes’ Commission preparing to begin its work, Polling brings not only her deep competitive experience but also a clear commitment to athlete advocacy and international cooperation