USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Athens Olympian Cody Mattern (Portland, Ore.) was recently elected as a vice chair of the U.S. Olympic Committee Athletes’ Advisory Council during the quadrennial leadership election in New Orleans.

Joining Mattern as vice chair is three-time Paralympic sitting volleyball player Katie Holloway (Lake Stevens, Wash.)

An athlete representative to the USA Fencing Board of Directors since 2012, Mattern was a member of the first U.S. Men’s Fencing Team to win a Senior World Championship. The three-time individual Division I National Champion won gold with the U.S. Men’s Epee Team at the 2012 Senior Worlds and silver with Team USA at the 2010 Worlds.

Following his competitive career, Mattern joined the staff of Northwest Fencing Center as the epee fencing program director.

Also elected during the meeting were table tennis athlete Han Xiao (Washington, D.C.) as president and at-large leadership group members Jordan Holm (Minneapolis, Minn.), a three-time wrestling World Team member; 2012 Paralympic cyclist Sam Kavanagh (Castle Rock, Colo.) and three-time Olympic race walker John Nunn (San Diego, Calif.)

“I am deeply honored to be selected by this body of athlete champions and volunteers to help lead the United States Olympic Committee's Athlete Advisory Council. We are charged with a noble purpose to protect the rights and equality of athletes in the Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Sports that the United States Olympic Committee is charge to oversee and lead,” Mattern said. “It is an honor and privilege I intend to work and live up to and I am very humbled, not only to be selected, but to be in such great company of the five others elected to this leadership team. I truly feel this team of leaders will bring great vision and change, in partnership with the USOC, and NGBs, to sustain or competitive excellence and inspire all Americans.”