The case is closed. The German Press Agency SID reports that the four national federations – German, Austrian, Swiss and Croatian – which challenged the election of the president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), Johan Eliasch (pictured above), have withdrawn their complaint to the Tribunal sports arbitration (CAS). “ The withdrawal of the complaint does not occur because our conception of law has changed, but because we must recognize that the current procedure interferes and partly blocks the voting process at the FIS., explained Stefan Schwarzbach, member of the executive committee of the German Ski Federation (DSV). The four plaintiffs contested the volte procedure which allowed Johan Eliasch, former CEO of the sports equipment manufacturer Head, to return last May in Milan for a second term at the head of the FIS. Although the Swedish leader was the only candidate, delegates had no choice but to vote yes or abstain. The option of no was not included in the procedure. With this withdrawal of the complaint, the re-election for four years of Johan Eliasch is no longer contested. But the standoff could well continue between the FIS and the four countries on the question of television and marketing rights for international competitions. The president of the FIS wishes to regain control of the matter. The four national federations are opposed to this, determined to maintain the commercialization of competitions organized on their soil.
