Johan Eliasch is one of seven candidates for the IOC presidency who will be put to a vote by the organization's members on March 20. For his grand oral, in Lausanne, the president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) highlighted his leadership, his experience in the business world and sports institutions as well as his environmental commitment, symbolized by the NGO he co-founded, Cool Earth. He answered questions from FrancsJeux to develop his vision. Second part of the interview, after the one devoted to his motivations and his priorities.
Do you think the current operation of the IOC is optimal or does it need to be improved?
We’re in a good place. And we can do better. We can always do better. Especially in times like these, where change is coming at us from every direction. In times when so much seems unpredictable, we need to be ahead of the curve on all fronts: commercially, technologically, sustainability, you name it. I think if you’re not moving, you’re probably falling behind.
More and more events are favouring joint bids and organisation between several countries. Is this a feasible and desirable path for the future of the Olympic and Paralympic Games?
Yes, without a doubt. The Olympic movement should be about the whole world. As far as possible, we should widely publicise the opportunities of hosting the Olympic Games. Sometimes joint bids are the way to do this. We should explore new venues for future editions. The idea of hosting the Games in Africa, India or the Middle East should excite us.
What would be your position on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Milan-Cortina 2026?
No one can choose where they are born. It would be extremely discriminatory to deny an athlete the opportunity to compete based on their passport. The Paris 2024 Neutral Individual Athlete (AIN) programme has been a success for Russian and Belarusian athletes, and we should build on it to allow more neutral athletes to compete at the Games. An athlete’s passport should not prevent them from pursuing their dreams. Ultimately, sport is a human right. The AIN programme respects these rights while acknowledging today’s geopolitical realities. We return to the ideals that have illuminated our movement for so long. Our unique position allows us to promote dialogue between divided nations and communities, and we must use this ability more often for the good of humanity.
The Olympic future of boxing, an iconic sport, is uncertain. Do you think that the efforts undertaken by World Boxing are enough to keep boxing on the programme?
I know that World Boxing has made great efforts in recent times. I don't want to anticipate the IOC's internal decisions, but I would say that the recent decision to grant World Boxing provisional recognition as the international federation governing the sport is clearly a positive step forward.
You are the only one of the seven candidates to come from the world of winter sports. Is this a handicap?
Not at all. I love all sports, summer and winter alike. Not only was I a passionate athlete myself – from curling to sailing to skiing to golf – but I also spent 30 years at HEAD working on innovations for a wide range of summer sports: tennis, golf, diving, swimming and cycling. In all of these sports, we used cutting-edge technologies to deliver groundbreaking improvements in athlete performance and safety, while securing major sponsorship deals with elite athletes. So while I am proud to be the president of the largest winter sports federation, I don’t consider myself to be solely from a winter sports background. In fact, it’s an advantage to be equally at home in winter sports as I am in summer sports.
