Ex-ski racer rages

Former Olympic champion on FIS boss: “A disaster”

Markus Wasmeier hopes that FIS boss Johan Eliasch will leave soon.

(Bild: APA/EXPA/JOHANN GRODER, GEPA)

Former Olympic ski champion Markus Wasmeier has come down hard on FIS President Johan Eliasch. The Swedish-British businessman is an absolute disaster for the ski circus. The German warns that a new boss of the world ski federation is needed, otherwise there is a risk of a rupture. 

"The man needs a shot across the bow. He simply has to realize that he is simply driving everything up the wall with his posturing," Wasmeier says in an interview with "Sport 1", not mincing his words. Eliasch has failed on all fronts so far and will continue to do so in the future if he does not radically change course.

"He's not taking the associations with him, he doesn't seem to understand a lot of things, it's a real disaster," said the 60-year-old with concern. You can tell that he didn't originally come from the sport of skiing, but is a businessman and thinks like one: "This whole management style is nasty," rages the former Olympic champion. 

Will there be a break?
According to Wasmeier, there is only one way to get the development of skiing back on track: "We need a new president". Resistance has already formed: "If there is no movement now, alpine skiing may even say goodbye to the FIS," warns the German. 

This would have fatal consequences for the sport: "Then the whole system would be invalid, and skiing would then, like Formula 1, only be a sport for children with rich parents," explains the 60-year-old. However, he hopes that a break can still be prevented in time.