The presidential election at the FIS World Ski Federation was a real thriller. Johan Eliasch wanted to get rid of the opposition around Austria, Germany and Switzerland – and won by a tiny margin.
The World Ski Federation FIS has a new president. The Congress in Belgrade voted out the controversial Johan Eliasch on Thursday and appointed Alexander Ospelt as his successor. The Liechtenstein lawyer Ospelt received 50.39 percent of the votes and will therefore be at the head of the international ski and snowboard association FIS for at least four years. The result was 65:64, so there was only a one-vote difference.
Eliasch showed himself to be a fair loser on the podium. “I have always said that this is a win-win decision for me. Either I get my life back or I win the election. I am very happy with either.” He emphasized that a lot had been achieved in recent years. “It would be a great shame to give it up. It is very important that everyone works together and aims for great things.”
Eliasch accuses IOC of exerting influence
However, Eliasch also accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC). “I have heard from many that the IOC tried to influence today’s election. We must stand strong against this because we are an independent organization.”
Ospelt thanked us for the choice and the trust. “We are all the FIS. I will be the president for all of you. Let us be united for our sport.”
Opposition settled on Ospelt
The Swedish-British billionaire and businessman Eliasch took over the FIS in 2021, but quickly alienated major ski nations such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland. He also no longer received support from his home nations; they did not want to nominate him. In order to meet the requirements for candidacy, Eliasch quickly obtained a Georgian passport and was nominated by the Georgian association.
In the run-up to the election, these associations had made it clear that they would support Ospelt. Eliasch and Ospelt were the last remaining candidates after three other candidates withdrew in advance. The close election result showed that Eliasch still had many supporters beyond the opposition and especially among the smaller nations.
Election with ballot papers
The internal tensions became apparent right at the start of the congress when two motions were tabled. The presidential election should take place with ballot papers instead of digitally and should be brought forward in order to quickly provide clarity. Both were accepted by the majority.
So it immediately became exciting, but also tough. Each of the 75 nations present was called individually to send a delegate to the voting booth. The procedure was monitored by an external lawyer.
Confidence in Elijah was clearly at an all-time low for many nations. The owner of the ski manufacturer Head has repeatedly been accused of showing insufficient communication, transparency and willingness to compromise. The opposition also pointed to the world association’s deteriorating financial situation.
Uproar over the awarding of the Nordic World Ski Championships
The first day of the meeting in Belgrade ended with a scandal. The FIS Council should decide whether Oberstdorf in Bavaria or Planica in Slovenia should host the 2031 Nordic World Ski Championships. The decision was surprisingly postponed, the FIS gave no reasons for this. But the power struggle in the world association obviously played a central role.
The German Ski Association (DSV) explained on Wednesday: “If other factors are ultimately given greater weight than the quality of an application, then this should be communicated openly and transparently. That is exactly what we expect in the next steps.”
The chairman of SC Oberstdorf Georg Gaiger criticized Eliasch directly in the Allgäuer Zeitung: “As athletes, we of course want to win, but we can also lose. But if we become a pawn in the power struggles of a high-handed president, then that is difficult to accept.”
The decision should now be made at the next meeting of the FIS Council – then with a new president.