Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), faces a re-election vote Thursday in Belgrade, Serbia, after just one full term in office — an unusual challenge for a sitting leader who also holds membership in the International Olympic Committee. The 64-year-old billionaire, who built the Head sportswear brand, is running against Alexander Ospelt, a lawyer from Liechtenstein and current FIS Council member.
Eliasch was elected president in 2021 with endorsements from ski greats Lindsey Vonn and Aksel Lund Svindal, both long-time users of Head skis. He has held dual citizenship in Sweden and Britain but secured his nomination to run for FIS president through Georgia after receiving no support from either the Swedish or British national ski federations.
What the Right Is Saying
Eliasch has defended his record, telling the Associated Press that FIS achieved more in five years under his leadership than in the previous 100 years combined. He said he brought commercial rights for major events including world championships and World Cup circuits in-house to put money to work through investments such as purchasing the Freeride World Tour and developing digital content.
"We had a lot of cash in the bank, we invested that. Put the money to work," Eliasch told the AP. He acknowledged he may have rushed change, saying: "I don't have 25 years to devote to this."
Eliasch dismissed the criticism from top athletes as not reflective of general sentiment among stakeholders. "Out of 80 voting nations there are about 10 that feel differently," he said in a recent interview. "The vast majority are on board for what we are trying to achieve." He framed the election outcome positively regardless of result: "For me, this election is a win-win. If I win, I get to carry on with what I'm most passionate about, which is ski racing. And if I lose, I get my life back."
FIS created a new CEO role last year and hired Urs Lehmann, one of Eliasch's 2021 electoral opponents, but Lehmann quit just last week.
What the Left Is Saying
Critics of Eliasch include some of skiing's most prominent current athletes. American alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, among the sport's most decorated competitors, issued a statement during the campaign saying that despite promises, prize money has not improved and FIS contributions to athlete earnings are actually set to decrease in coming years.
"We haven't seen any significant changes based on much of what was promised, including intentions around prize money," Shiffrin said. "In fact, in the coming years, it seems that FIS's contribution to prize money will actually decrease."
Swiss standout Marco Odermatt, the reigning men's World Cup overall champion, suggested there is little choice but to make a change at the top of FIS leadership. American freestyle skier Alex Hall, a two-time Olympic medalist, said he had been advocating for change over five years with little result.
A group of senior officials from the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Norway wrote to FIS member federations last month expressing concerns about financial management. The letter stated that cash reserves have declined substantially, annual operating costs have increased significantly, and revenues have not developed as anticipated.
What the Numbers Show
The FIS presidential election involves votes from approximately 80 member nations. Three candidates — from the United States, Britain and Denmark — withdrew ahead of Thursday's meeting in Belgrade, leaving only Ospelt as Eliasch's challenger on the ballot.
FIS controls commercial rights to major events including World Cup circuits and world championships across alpine skiing, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing and other disciplines. The earnings gap between skiing and tennis has been a long-standing concern that Eliasch set out to address, though critics say progress has been limited.
Urs Lehmann served as CEO for approximately one year before departing last week, creating additional leadership uncertainty ahead of the vote.
The Bottom Line
Thursday's election in Belgrade will determine whether Eliasch continues his push to modernize and commercialize international skiing or cedes control to Ospelt, who promises a more transparent financial approach and greater inclusion of smaller nations. With major athletes publicly calling for change while the incumbent points to substantial progress on infrastructure and investment, the outcome could shape FIS governance for years to come regardless of which direction members choose.
The vote comes as international sports federations face increased scrutiny over transparency and athlete representation globally.