Alpine skiing-Ospelt beats Eliasch by one vote to become FIS president
June 11 : Liechtenstein's Alexander Ospelt beat incumbent Johan Eliasch by one vote on Thursday in an election for presidency of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
Eliasch, a British-Swedish businessman seeking another four-year term at the helm, polled 64 votes to Ospelt's 65 with no abstentions at the FIS congress in Belgrade.
Some of the larger ski nations have questioned FIS' spending priorities and the direction of the federation under Eliasch's leadership, with the president seeking to centralise the sport's commercial rights.
Eliasch represented Georgia in his re-election bid after both the British and the Swedish ski federations did not support his candidacy.
Ospelt, a lawyer, emphasised the need for greater transparency in governance and financial oversight while campaigning to be the FIS president.
Eliasch, 64, will lose his membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as a result of the vote.
He had stood as a candidate in the IOC presidential election won in March last year by Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry and he suggested in a concession speech, after congratulating Ospelt, that the Olympic body had sought to influence the FIS vote.
"We are an independent organisation, and I did hear from many that... the IOC tried to influence the outcome of today's vote, and against this we must stay firm," Eliasch said.
The IOC declined to comment on Eliasch's comment.
"The IOC acknowledges the results of the FIS presidential election and congratulates new FIS President Mr. Alexander Ospelt," an IOC spokesperson told Reuters.
"We thank Mr Johan Eliasch for his work as FIS President and IOC Member. We will not add any further comment on the election results."
