World skiing president Eliasch faces re-election vote amid Shiffrin, Odermatt calls for change
It's rare in Olympic sports politics for a sitting president to be challenged in an election after just one full term in office
GENEVA -- It's rare in Olympic sports politics for a sitting president to be challenged in an election after just one full term in office.
Rarer still when that leader also has been accepted as a member into the International Olympic Committee.
Johan Eliasch faces a re-election vote Thursday to stay president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) against strong opposition from the Alpine, Nordic and north American heartlands of winter sport.
“Out of 80 voting nations there are about 10 that feel differently,” Eliasch told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “The vast majority are on board for what we are trying to achieve.”
Eliasch, a billionaire who built the Head sportswear brand, has clashed throughout his presidency with established ski nations who claim his robust management puts the financial stability of FIS at risk.
A dual citizen of Sweden and Britain, Eliasch was not supported by either of those national ski federations to stand for re-election. He complied with FIS rules by getting a passport and nomination from the country of Georgia.
Eliasch had endorsements from ski greats Lindsey Vonn and Aksel Lund Svindal, long-time users of Head skis, when first elected in 2021.
Now this generation’s champions Mikaela Shiffrin and Marco Odermatt spoke against the direction FIS is taking.
Eliasch's one opponent on the ballot is Alexander Ospelt, a lawyer from Liechtenstein. Candidates from the United States, Britain and Denmark withdrew ahead of the election meeting in Belgrade, Serbia.
“For me, this election is a win-win," Eliasch told the AP. "If I win, I get to carry on with what I’m the most passionate about, which is ski racing. And if I lose, I get my life back.”
The 64-year-old Eliasch acknowledges he rushed to bring change: “I don’t have 25 years to devote to this.”
He brought control in-house of commercial rights to FIS events like world championships and World Cup circuits, leading to legal action and frustrated member federations.
“We had a lot of cash in the bank, we invested that. Put the money to work,” he told the AP, citing purchases of the Freeride World Tour, a travel agency and developing digital content to increase ski sports’ global reach.
Eliasch claims FIS achieved more in five years than the previous 100 but could have been faster. “I haven’t been tough enough. I’ve tried to be too diplomatic in many cases and that has backfired.”
Eliasch’s critics say he has been too autocratic, lacked transparency and that FIS spent too much.
A group of senior officials from the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Norway wrote to FIS member federations last month detailing concerns.
“Cash reserves have declined substantially, annual operating costs have increased significantly, and revenues have not developed as anticipated,” they wrote in a letter seen by the AP.
FIS created a new CEO role last year and hired one of Eliasch’s 2021 election opponents, Swiss former downhill world champion Urs Lehmann. He quit last week.
Eliasch’s long-held goal is to close the massive earnings gap between skiing and tennis, Head’s core sports.
“We haven’t seen any significant changes based on much of what was promised, including intentions around prize money,” Shiffrin said in a statement during the FIS presidential campaign. “In fact, in the coming years, it seems that FIS’s contribution to prize money will actually decrease.”
American freestyle skier Alex Hall, a two-time Olympic medalist, agreed: “I have been advocating for change over the past five years and can honestly say not much has changed.”
Odermatt, the Swiss standout in men's Alpine skiing, suggested “there is little choice but to make a change” atop FIS.
“Marco’s comments I don’t think are reflective of the general mood of the athletes," Eliasch insisted.
Ospelt is a member of the FIS Council. His election program stresses a “realistic and transparent financial plan,” plus better knowledge sharing for member federations.
“I want to really have the impression that we are a family, taking care of each other, and growing to be more of an international world sport,” Ospelt said Tuesday in a Zoom interview. “It’s more sexy for the sport if we have medal winners from 80 nations and not a Swiss, Austrian or German championship.”
His aim is to involve more athletes across all the disciplines, adding "if something is not OK, then the athlete should raise their voice. It’s a sign that something has to be changed and I just want to be an alternative for change.”
To raise revenue, he would like more opportunities like ESPN’s five-episode series “On the Edge: World Cup Ski Racing” that aired around the Milan Cortina Olympics in February. It featured Shiffrin, Vonn, Odermatt and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the Norwegian-born racer who won a first Winter Games gold medal for Brazil.
“To improve the income streams, we have to put the athletes in front,” Ospelt said. “If they’re only behind the helmet and the goggles, it’s difficult to get to know them.”
___
Pat Graham reported from Denver
___
AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
Popular Reads
ABC News Live