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Next round in the heavyweight fight between FIS boss Johan Eliasch (61) and the Swiss association boss Urs Lehmann (54). Shortly before Tuesday afternoon, a communiqué from the FIS press service appeared. The content: quite steep. The FIS accuses Lehmann of “unethical behavior”.
In concrete terms, it concerns the “recent criticism of Urs Lehmann, president of Swiss Ski and member of the FIS council, regarding the preparation of the race calendar,” according to the letter. Lehmann was critical of the creation of the World Cup racing calendar. You might want to say: “All calendars are determined by the FIS council. The current 2023/24 season calendar was unanimously approved by the FIS council, of which Urs Lehmann is also a member.
“FIS strongly condemns unethical behavior”
“After the cancellation of many descents at the beginning of this season, it was the express wish of the athletes and their support teams” to find new dates. “The decision to add a race in Wengen was made together with the head coaches of the national teams.”
That is why “the FIS condemns such unethical behavior in the strongest possible terms,” writes the World Ski Association. “A councilor has a duty to act with integrity and in the best interests of the FIS.”
The problem: Lehmann had no criticism of the Wengen races at all
The catch: Lehmann did not join the chorus of critics in Wengen who declared that scheduling three speed races in a row on the Lauberhorn was too dangerous. The Swiss boss previously pointed out that everyone at the World Cup would have liked to see the races that were canceled in Zermatt and Beaver Creek at the beginning of the winter could be rescheduled. He had agreed with the Swiss Ski Association to hold one of the races to be moved in the Bernese Oberland, which took place last Thursday.
But what Lehmann did: he gave an interview to the French-speaking Swiss online portal ‘skiactu.ch’, where he criticized FIS boss Johan Eliasch without mentioning him by name. “We have to think about who makes the calendar…,” he says. “Currently, the planned procedures are not being followed here. Right now, one person is doing it from home,” says Lehmann – probably referring to Eliasch. What makes him angry: “I heard from the news that Sun Valley will host the World Cup finals in 2025, 2028 and 2030. I had never heard of it. And there was never anyone from the FIS present. And that’s how I experienced it, from a distance. That is the problem.”
What consequences does Lehmann now face?
Is it these statements that the FIS wants to hold Lehmann responsible for? Probably. The response to a corresponding request from Blick is still pending. It is also unclear what consequences Lehmann may now face. “When the spirit of togetherness is regularly undermined by one-sidedness or power plays, we all suffer,” the statement says simply. “Our sport is suffering. Therefore, the FIS will always defend itself against such accusations.”
For his part, the Swiss federation boss should not fire back at the FIS attack. “I take note of that,” Lehmann told Blick on the phone. «My criticism was regarding Sun Valley and the overall calendar planning. In recent years, things have not always gone as they used to. That’s not good for the system. I stand by that.”
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
