With Congress pushed back, Gian Franco Kasper will stick around for another year

By Published On: August 13th, 2020Comments Off on With Congress pushed back, Gian Franco Kasper will stick around for another year

With the FIS announcing earlier this month postponement of the 52nd annual Congress until the spring of 2021, President Gian Franco Kasper, who had planned to step aside, will remain in his post until 2021. 

The decision is, in part, due to the postponement of Congress, which was pushed back from October 2020 in Zurich, Switzerland to June 2021 in Portoroz, Slovenia.

The Council’s decision to postpone the FIS Congress is based on the FIS policy of respecting the health and safety of all participants at all of its events as the highest priority, according to the FIS. On the advice of the FIS Medical Committee Expert Group, organizing the FIS Congress in October would not meet these standards of safety. Additionally, the current travel restrictions subject participants from many of the FIS member national ski associations’ countries to quarantine and other restrictions.

The election of Kasper’s successor has now been scheduled for June 5, 2021

“Today was both a difficult yet easy decision for the FIS Council to make,” said Kasper. “The current status of the COVID-19 outbreak globally and the resulting travel restrictions made it clear that this was not the time to bring our global FIS Family together. However, it is very difficult for FIS to delay the Congress until next spring. The Congress is the backbone of our democratic process and governance and we do not take its postponement lightly. Nevertheless, we look forward to the day when all FIS stakeholders will meet together next spring in Portoroz.”

Details about arrangements for the FIS “2020” Congress will be communicated after the FIS Council meeting on Friday Oct. 9, 2020. The decision to award the World Ski Championships in 2025 will be made on Oct. 3 as planned. 

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