The 41-year-old Bermudan, who competed in the luge and skeleton events at three Winter Olympics, will not be an IOC member but will be one of three other representatives who also sit on the 18-person body.

Dia Ba, winner of an Olympic silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles at Seoul 1988, has come to the end of his eight-year spell on the Commission.

Singleton will initially serve a four-year term which is due to expire after Tokyo 2020.

Current Athletes' Commission vice-chair Angela Ruggiero has also been selected as one of five IOC representatives on the WOA Board.

Ruggiero, the United States' ice hockey player who claimed four Olympic medals, including gold at Nagano 1998, is also being mooted as a future Athletes' Commission chair once Claudia Bokel relinquishes her position at Rio 2016.

Two other IOC members, China's former badminton player Li Lingwei and Namibian sprinter Frankie Fredericks - a former IOC Athletes' Commission chair himself - have also been selected along with Australian beach volleyball star Natalie Cook and Swedish Alpine skier Pernilla Wiberg.

US triple jumper Willie Banks and Japanese synchronised swimmer Mikako Kotani have also been appointed as WOA continental representatives.

“This is an exciting new chapter for the WOA and I am proud to welcome on board our new Executive Committee members," said WOA President Joël Bouzou.

"I am confident each will make a significant contribution to support the ongoing development of the WOA and the role of Olympians in society as we embark on the journey ahead.

“We are grateful for the ongoing support from the IOC and believe that the increased integration of our two organisations in such a meaningful way will reap great rewards for Olympians and have a positive impact on their well-being at all stages of their lives.”

Today’s announcement highlights the "enhanced integration" between the WOA and IOC, a statement claimed, and will "ensure the WOA and Olympians everywhere benefit from increased support through the alignment of the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020 and its athlete support programmes with the WOA’s own work".

The WOA has also re-located its administrative base to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, billed as a "further symbol of their advanced working relationship".

This follows IOC President Thomas Bach speaking at the inaugural World Olympians Forum in Moscow last year.

“Twenty-fifteen was an important year in the history of the WOA," said Bach.

"Following the successful World Olympians Forum in Moscow and the approval of the new WOA Constitution in October, I am very pleased to see that the integration of the WOA with the IOC is in its final stage.

“Protecting and supporting clean athletes is one of the main pillars of Olympic Agenda 2020.

"In this respect, the WOA’s integration with the IOC is another implementation of the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020, it is athletes and Olympians who should and will benefit from this close collaboration.”