(Reuters) – Elena Vyalbe, the head of the Russian cross-country skiing federation who has voiced support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, has been ousted from the International Skiing Federation (FIS) Council following a vote in Milan.
Vyalbe, a three-times Olympic champion, was elected to the FIS Council last year but several members had objected to her participation in Thursday’s election due to her comments on the invasion.
The 54-year-old received 48 out of 117 votes, finishing last.
Russian and Belarusian athletes had already been banned from competing in FIS events. Belarus has been a key staging area for the invasion.
President Johan Eliasch was re-elected for a four-year term even as some delegates staged a walkout, saying that the voting process was undemocratic, as he was the only candidate.
“The past year has shown that this can, and must, only be the beginning,” said Eliasch, who was elected for the first time in 2021 but had a shortened tenure due to the timing of the previous Congress.
“I am grateful and excited for this clear mandate to continue our path to lead snow sports into a bright and successful future.”
The delegates also approved changing the official name of the governing body to include the word ‘Snowboard’. It will now be called the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, although the acronym will remain the same.
(Reporting by Dhruv Munjal in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
