One vote decided
Odermatt and Co. celebrate: FIS President must go!
The decision has been made: Controversial FIS President Johan Eliasch was voted out on Thursday! This pleases not only the ÖSV, but also stars like Marco Odermatt (SUI) and Mikaela Shiffrin (USA).
At the congress in Belgrade, the member associations with voting rights elected Alexander Ospelt of Liechtenstein as the successor to the Swedish-British-Georgian multi-billionaire. The vote was 65 to 64 in favor of 58-year-old attorney Ospelt, who said in his initial reaction: “Thank you for your great trust. I will be a president for all of you—let’s get to work, let’s embark on this journey together.”
Ospelt was supported by Austria, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, and the U.S., among others. Eliasch faced criticism for his leadership, controversial marketing ideas, and, not least, the federation’s allegedly poor financial situation. A week before the congress, FIS CEO Urs Lehmann had resigned due to a rift with Eliasch, but the Swiss executive could return under Ospelt.
ÖSV Secretary General Christian Scherer commented on the result: “We should congratulate Alexander Ospelt on his election, but we should also thank Johan Eliasch—he has invested a great deal of time and passion into his presidency. Now it is up to us to work together to restore trust and develop the FIS accordingly.”
Eliasch’s Tenure Full of Controversy
A few days before the election, the dismissal of former racer Alexandra Meissnitzer—who had been hired by Eliasch the previous year for special projects—caused a stir due to critical remarks she made in an interview. In addition, several ski stars, including Marco Odermatt and Mikaela Shiffrin, publicly spoke out against the 64-year-old serving another term.
Eliasch had assumed the presidency in June 2021 as the successor to Gian Franco Kasper; in 2022, he was reelected without an opponent under controversial circumstances. Since then, there had been numerous disputes between the FIS chief and major federations such as the ÖSV. Now, Ospelt, who has served on the FIS Council for two years, is expected to steer the federation into calmer waters. The lawyer headed the Liechtenstein Ski Association from 2016 to 2023. His term as FIS president will last four years.
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