Olympic sports leadership rarely sees a sitting president challenged for re-election after serving only one complete term in office.
Even more unusual is when that official has also gained membership in the International Olympic Committee.
Johan Eliasch confronts a re-election battle Thursday to remain head of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), facing significant resistance from Alpine, Nordic and north American winter sports strongholds.
“Out of 80 voting nations there are about 10 that feel differently,” Eliasch stated to The Associated Press in a recent interview. “The vast majority are on board for what we are trying to achieve.”
The billionaire who developed the Head sportswear brand has been at odds throughout his tenure with traditional ski powerhouses who argue his aggressive leadership threatens FIS’s financial security.
Holding dual citizenship from Sweden and Britain, Eliasch received no backing from either nation’s ski federation for another term. Following FIS regulations, he obtained a passport and nomination from Georgia.
When initially elected in 2021, Eliasch secured endorsements from skiing legends Lindsey Vonn and Aksel Lund Svindal, both longtime Head equipment users.
However, current stars Mikaela Shiffrin and Marco Odermatt have voiced opposition to FIS’s current trajectory.
Alexander Ospelt, a lawyer from Liechtenstein, stands as Eliasch’s sole challenger on the ballot. Potential candidates from the United States, Britain and Denmark pulled out before the election meeting in Belgrade, Serbia.
“For me, this election is a win-win,” Eliasch shared with the AP. “If I win, I get to carry on with what I’m the most passionate about, which is ski racing. And if I lose, I get my life back.”
The 64-year-old Eliasch admits to implementing changes too quickly: “I don’t have 25 years to devote to this.”
He moved commercial rights for FIS competitions including world championships and World Cup series under internal control, resulting in lawsuits and unhappy member federations.
“We had a lot of cash in the bank, we invested that. Put the money to work,” he explained to the AP, referencing acquisitions of the Freeride World Tour, a travel agency and developing digital content to expand ski sports’ worldwide appeal.
Eliasch maintains FIS accomplished more in five years than the preceding century but believes he could have moved faster. “I haven’t been tough enough. I’ve tried to be too diplomatic in many cases and that has backfired.”
Critics characterize Eliasch as overly controlling, lacking openness and spending excessively.
Senior representatives from the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Norway sent a letter to FIS member federations last month outlining their worries.
“Cash reserves have declined substantially, annual operating costs have increased significantly, and revenues have not developed as anticipated,” they stated in correspondence reviewed by the AP.
FIS established a new CEO position last year and appointed Urs Lehmann, a Swiss former downhill world champion who ran against Eliasch in 2021. He resigned last week.
Eliasch’s persistent objective involves narrowing the enormous earnings disparity between skiing and tennis, Head’s primary sports.
“We haven’t seen any significant changes based on much of what was promised, including intentions around prize money,” Shiffrin commented during the FIS presidential campaign. “In fact, in the coming years, it seems that FIS’s contribution to prize money will actually decrease.”
American freestyle skier Alex Hall, a two-time Olympic medalist, shared similar sentiments: “I have been advocating for change over the past five years and can honestly say not much has changed.”
Odermatt, the Swiss standout in men’s Alpine skiing, indicated “there is little choice but to make a change” atop FIS.
“Marco’s comments I don’t think are reflective of the general mood of the athletes,” Eliasch countered.
Ospelt serves on the FIS Council. His campaign platform emphasizes a “realistic and transparent financial plan,” along with improved knowledge sharing for member federations.
“I want to really have the impression that we are a family, taking care of each other, and growing to be more of an international world sport,” Ospelt explained Tuesday during a Zoom interview. “It’s more sexy for the sport if we have medal winners from 80 nations and not a Swiss, Austrian or German championship.”
His goal includes greater athlete participation across all disciplines, noting “if something is not OK, then the athlete should raise their voice. It’s a sign that something has to be changed and I just want to be an alternative for change.”
For revenue generation, he supports more projects like ESPN’s five-episode series “On the Edge: World Cup Ski Racing” that broadcast during the Milan Cortina Olympics in February. The show highlighted Shiffrin, Vonn, Odermatt and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the Norwegian-born racer who captured Brazil’s first Winter Games gold medal.
“To improve the income streams, we have to put the athletes in front,” Ospelt stated. “If they’re only behind the helmet and the goggles, it’s difficult to get to know them.”
