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Sarah Lewis (56) has decided to fight for the presidency of the International Ski Federation (FIS), six months after being expelled from the same federation.
Lewis was long seen as an obvious candidate to replace current FIS president Gian Franco Kasper (77), but shocking news came in October last year that Lewis had to resign from his post as the union’s general secretary.
In a press release, FIS made it clear that the majority of the board had decided that Lewis had to leave as a result of “total mistrust.”
Neither FIS nor Lewis have subsequently declined to comment on the background of the mistrust.
However, in Nettavisen’s experience, last year’s surprising decision does not prevent the British from wanting to return to the International Ski Federation.
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Announced after Easter
On June 4, a new FIS president will be elected and Nettavisen can now reveal that the 56-year-old Brit will stand for election.
Lewis was long expected to be one of the presidential candidates, but last year’s firing created uncertainty about what the British would do.
Now Nettavisen is informed by sources that the 56-year-old will try to become Kasper’s heir and that her candidacy will be announced just after Easter if all goes according to plan.
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Kasper, 77, of Switzerland, has been in the FIS presidency since 1998 and was re-elected no later than 2018. His current presidency lasts until 2022, but as early as 2019 it was clear that the Swiss would not be left out of term.
Therefore, a new presidential election in connection with the FIS Congress was planned to be held from 2020, but the crown pandemic has caused several postponements.
On Thursday, however, FIS decided that the congress will be held digitally to avoid further delays.
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More candidates
Lewis can expect a tough battle for the presidency.
Three candidates have already been nominated.
The Swiss Ski Federation has announced former mountaineer Urs Lehmann as a candidate. The online newspaper has spoken with several sources who see the Swiss as one of the favorites to replace his compatriot Kasper.
Recently, the Swedish Ski Association nominated the Swedish Mars Årjes as its candidate. Årjes is currently Vice President of the FIS and President of the Swedish Olympic Committee. The Norwegian Ski Federation is expected to support the Swede, but a final decision has yet to be made.
In addition, the British Ski Association has nominated billionaire Johan Eliasch. He is the owner of the ski and equipment provider Head.
Lewis is not nominated by his own.
Each national federation can only nominate one candidate for the presidential elections.
Since the Swedish-British Eliasch has been nominated by the British, Lewis has had to find another association that can nominate her.
And from what Nettavisen knows, one of the 132 other member countries will announce Lewis as their candidate right after the Easter holidays.
If Lewis were elected, she would be the first woman to become president of the International Ski Federation.
Before being fired by the FIS board in October last year, she had worked for more than 20 years as the association’s general secretary.
Now it remains to be seen how he will react when the 56-year-old tries to return to the FIS.
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