International Paralympic Committee President Sir Philip Craven has retired from his post after 16 years at the helm of the IPC.
Craven took over the job in 2001, and oversaw an explosion in the Paralympics popularity. The BBC reports that in 2001, the IPC was a “relatively small disability sports body,” but that in 2017, the Paralympics are “the world’s third biggest sporting event, beaten only by the Olympics and World Cup in terms of global ticket sales.”
Craven himself was a five-time Paralympian in wheelchair basketball. He credits the IPC agreement with the International Olympic Committee to tie the Paralympics to that year’s Olympic host city as a key to expanding the popularity of the event. That agreement started in 2000.
You can read more about Craven’s time with the IPC in this BBC piece from today. His successor will be named on Friday.