FIS. Today at the 52nd International Ski Congress the delegates elected Johan Eliasch (GBR) as the new FIS President to take over for outgoing President Gian Franco Kasper.

FIS President Johan Eliasch (GBR)

Eliasch was elected as the new FIS President after just one round of voting. He earned 54.82 percent of the vote with 65 votes. Behind him was Urs Lehmann (SUI) with 26 votes (21.85%) followed by Sarah Lewis (BEL) with 15 votes (12.61%) and Mats Arjes (SWE) 13 votes (10.92%)

“I’m incredibly humbled to be chosen as your president.” Eliasch said to the Congress after his election. “I want to thank FIS for organizing such a professional virtual congress. I would especially like to express my gratitude to Gian Franco Kasper, whom I have known for many years. We would not all be sitting here today if it wasn’t for him.

He continued, “I will be engaged, open-minded and transparent and a president that represents all nations and all disciplines and now let us go to work.”

In addition to the Presidential election, the Congress also elected the 16-member Council. The elected Candidates are:

ARJES, Mats, SWE         
GOSPER Dean, AUS         
KUMPOST Roman, CZE        
LEHMANN, Urs, SUI         
MINEV Tzeko, BUL       
MURASATO Aki, JPN        
PAINE Dexter, USA         
RODA Flavio, ITA             
ROESTE Erik, NOR         
SCHROECKSNADEL Peter, AUT 
SMREKAR Enzo, SLO        
STEINLE Franz, GER        
UUSITALO Martti, FIN        
VION Michel, FRA      
VYALBE Elena, RUS         
ZHEN Liangcheng, CHN         

In addition to the above elected Council members, Hannah Kearney (USA – Freestyle Skiing) and Martti Jyhla (FIN – Cross Country Skiing) were appointed as the Athletes’ Commission Representatives in the Council for the upcoming term.

Both the President and Council will serve a term through the next International Ski Congress, which will take place in late Spring 2022.

The election was the primary business at today’s Congress as all National Ski Associations agreed to table all proposals for the FIS Statutes until the next Congress when it can be staged in person.

Outside of the housekeeping business, a major decision of note was the adoption of the Mainau Manifesto, which will serve as the guiding sustainability document for FIS in the upcoming years.

Additionally, give new nations were approved as Associate Members, they are: Cape Verde, Panama, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates and Vanuatu.

FIS news
04 Jun 2021

The new FIS Council Member Mr. Tzeko Minev

Tzeko Minev (*1960) has been member of the FIS Sub Committee for the Alpine World Cup since 2006 as well serving as a member of the former FIS Commission of European Questions.

Minev was a member of the Executive board of Bulgarian Olympic Committee from 2005-2019, when he has been elected as a Vice-President, responsible for the winter sports development.

For the last 18 years, since 2003, Mr. Minev has served as the President of the Bulgarian Ski Federation. He also served as a chairman of the LOCs of all 11 Alpine and Snowboard World Cups held in Bulgaria since 2007.

He has enjoyed a remarkable career in banking and investments, and is the founder and one of the majority shareholders of Fibank. He stands behind the development of Bansko ski resort and other big-scale investments projects in ski sports.

A holder of a Master’s degree in Economics, he is married, with one son and lives in Sofia. He is a passionate skier, tennis player and former player from the Bulgarian national water-polo team.

FIS
02 Jun 2021