The WCF were originally only choosing four new members and the places were given to Australian Kim Forge, two-time Paralympian Patrick McDonald of the United States, Murdoch and 2010 world men's curling champion Nolan Thiessen of Canada.

The WCF Board unanimously decided, however, to add a fifth new representative on the Athletes' Commission to "give a better geographical balance, particularly with the next two Olympic Winter Games being held in the Pacific-Asia Zone".

This position was awarded to Japan's Kosuke Morozumi, a six-time silver medallist at the Pacific-Asia Curling Championships.

"It is my pleasure to welcome our five new members into the WCF Athlete Commission," WCF President Kate Caithness said. 

"I have no doubt these athletes will bring invaluable knowledge and experience to the Commission and work hard for the interests of our elite curlers across the globe."

The five members join Sweden's Cathrine Lindahl, Kelly Scott of Canada and American Ann Swisshelm on the Commission, which acts as the voice for elite curlers to the WCF Executive Board, Competitions and Rules Commission and the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission.

They were chosen following a two-week voting process.

Any athlete who has competed in curling or wheelchair curling events at the Olympic or Paralympic Winter Games, the men’s, women’s, mixed doubles or wheelchair curling World Championships in the last eight years was able to cast a vote.

"The World Curling Federation has taken a significant step in building the athletes' voice," Swisshelm said. 

"Hosting an election that is driven by athletes and finalised by athletes truly confirms how valuable we are within the WCF family.

"Congratulations to the five newly-peer-elected members of the WCF Athletes Commission.

"Also, our sincerest gratitude to outgoing members, Bingyu Wang, Andreas Schwaller and Michael McCreadie."

China's Bingyu Yang, a world champion in 2009 in Gangneung in South Korea and an Olympic bronze medallist from Vancouver 2010, and Sochi 2014 bronze medallist Viktor Kjell of Sweden, a world champion in 2013 in Victoria in Canada, were among those who missed out on a spot on the Commission.

Other contenders were Wales' Adrian Meikle, China's Dexin Ba, Hungarians Dorottya Palancsa and Zsolt Kiss, Australian Lynette Gill, South Korean Kim Soo Hyuk, Scotland's Lee McCleary, American Pete Fenson, New Zealand's Peter de Boer, Czech curler Marek Vydra and Cathy Overton-Clapham of Canada.