Decision final

Austria’s Olympic President Karl Stoss steps down

ÖOC President Karl Stoss(Bild: GEPA)

Karl Stoss announced on Wednesday afternoon at the ÖOC General Assembly in Vienna that he will not be standing for re-election at the next General Assembly in spring 2025. Until then, Stoss will remain in the office of ÖOC President, which he has held since 2009. "My decision is final," confirmed the 67-year-old from Vorarlberg.

"I won't be standing again at the next Annual General Meeting," said Stoss, who initially wanted to inform the members of his decision. "I was also asked whether I could imagine running for the office of IOC President. But I turned that down too, because the statutes would have to be changed for me, just like for Thomas Bach."

Election takes place in March
The election of the next IOC President will take place in Greece in mid-March 2025, shortly after which the next ÖOC General Assembly will take place. Until then, the task now is to find candidates to succeed Stoss.

There was also other news at the Annual General Meeting, albeit not so explosive. The Statutes Commission, headed by ÖHB President Markus Plazer, presented the new ÖOC statutes, which were adopted with an overwhelming majority of 87 percent and are valid with immediate effect.

Thomas Bach(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Schröcksnadel now an honorary member
In addition, the five federations that are new to the program at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles were welcomed as new members: the Austrian Cricket Federation, the Austrian American Football Federation (with flag football, note), the Austrian Lacrosse Federation, the Austrian Baseball Softball Federation and the Austrian Squash Rackets Federation.

In addition to other points such as the upcoming re-certification of the Olympic Centers Austria until 2028, the long-standing ÖOC Vice Presidents Peter Schröcksnadel and Otto Flum were awarded honorary membership. In his laudatory speech, Stoss emphasized the merits of the two for their sports in general and Olympic sport in particular.

The 83-year-old Schröcksnadel was in Paris ("at my expense"). "Five medals is not much, but two golds in sailing is great for a country without direct access to the sea," explained Schröcksnadel, who expressed a wish for the ÖOC, namely that "we work more with and not against each other. Only then will we continue to be successful."