Alexander Ospelt elected FIS president by one vote

The FIS Congress in Belgrade has concluded a tense presidential race: Liechtenstein representative Alexander Ospelt narrowly defeated Johan Eliasch to become president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

The decisive vote took place on Thursday in Serbia's capital. Delegates voted for a change of direction after five years of controversial leadership by British-Swedish billionaire Johan Eliasch. The result was extremely close:

• Alexander Ospelt - 65 votes;
• Johan Eliasch - 64 votes.

Thus, the election was decided by just one vote. The result showed how deep the divisions within the federation had become, while also marking the end of the Eliasch era. A new chapter is beginning at FIS.

The Swedish and British federations, whose citizenship Eliasch holds, refused to nominate him for the presidency. He therefore sought re-election through Georgia, hastily obtaining citizenship of that country. Meanwhile, an increasing number of influential national federations had distanced themselves from the former president even before the congress.

Ospelt's candidacy received notable support from leading figures in winter sports. In particular, representatives of the Swiss Ski Federation (Swiss-Ski) and the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) voted for the Liechtenstein representative. The positions of the Swiss and Austrian federations formed part of the strong backing for the new candidate.

Alexander Ospelt has been a member of the FIS Council since 2024. He is a lawyer and holds a doctorate in law. He previously headed the Liechtenstein Ski Association and was also vice-president of the Federation of European Ski and Snowboard Associations. His professional work is focused on developing sports governance, international cooperation and strengthening dialogue between national federations.

Photo: FIS press service
17:37 11.06.26