June 11, 2014 (Barcelona, Spain) – The 49^th International Ski Congress concluded last weekend in Barcelona (SPA). One of the highlights of the Congress was the re-election of FIS President Gian Franco Kasper for his seventh term from 2014-2018. He was elected for the first time in 1998 (with two-year terms from 1998 until 2006 and four year terms from 2006).

FIS President Gian Franco Kasper during the recent Congress © Agence Zoom

In accepting his election by acclamation, President Kasper said: “I thank you for this confidence, I promise to do my best for the sport during the next four years. Whether that will be good enough is for others to judge.”

Three new members elected to FIS Council

The 2014 Congress also elected the FIS Council, including three new members, for the upcoming two-year period, 2014-2016. Besides the FIS President and the FIS Secretary General, the newly-elected FIS Council will consist of the following (in alphabetical order):

– Mats Årjes (SWE) 109 votes
– Andrey Bokarev (RUS) 91 votes
– Dean Gosper (AUS) 94 votes
– Alfons Hörmann (GER) 113 votes
– Janez Kocijancic (SLO) 107 votes
– Roman Kumpost (CZE) 80 votes
– Sung Won Lee (KOR) 107 votes
– Aki Murasato (JPN) 108 votes – new
– Dexter Paine (USA) 116 votes – new
– Flavio Roda (ITA) 116 votes
– Eduardo Roldan (SPA) 108 votes
– Peter Schröcksnadel (AUT) 114 votes
– Sverre Seeberg (NOR), 119 votes
– Patrick Smith (CAN) 116 votes
– Martti Uusitalo (FIN) 83 votes – new
– Michel Vion (FRA) 110 votes

Long-term FIS Council member Bill Marolt (USA) and Erich Demetz (ITA) were named FIS Honorary Members.

FIS Membership Grows to 122

The Congress affiliated Dominica, Guyana, Malaysia, Paraguay, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste as associate members of the International Ski Federation. The total number of members in FIS now amounts to 122.

To read the full press release with all major Congress decisions, click here.

Olympic Winter Games

The Congress decided that FIS should submit the addition of new events on the programme of the Olympic Winter Games following the outcome and in the context of the Olympic Agenda 2020 when the roadmap for the future of the Olympic Winter Games programme is defined. These include the Alpine Skiing nations team event, Ski Jumping mixed team event, Nordic Combined team sprint, Snowboard big air, team snowboard cross and Telemark parallel sprint and team parallel sprint.