Ivo Ferriani elevated to top post at SportAccord

Ivo Ferriani, who first emerged as a leading figure in bobsleigh, has been elevated to the top post at SportAccord. His election comes after a recent rise to prominence in the Olympic movement that has seen him become a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board, president of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF), and most recently, president of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF).

Ferriani has become an integral part of the IOC since being elected as a member in 2016. He sits on the IOC Executive Board, is a member of the Coordination Commission for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, and is a member of three IOC commissions.

His election to the presidency of SportAccord shouldn’t come as a shock given the close ties between Sport Accord and GAISF. He was elected as President of GAISF in early November, succeeding Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, president of the Association of IOC Recognized International Sports Federations (ARISF) and president of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), as dictated by the rotational principles of the GAISF’s statutes.

Ferriani sent shockwaves through the greater international sports community earlier this year, when it was revealed that he intended to dissolve GAISF. His motivations for initiating such actions have yet to be revealed, but it is commonly held knowledge the relationship between the IOC and GAISF is complicated or strained at best.

While it remains to be seen if GAISF will indeed be dissolved, it is clear that Ferriani’s influence is continuing to grow within international sports.

Commenting on his election as president of SportAccord, Ferriani stated, “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to build on the excellent leadership of my predecessor Dr. Raffaele Chiulli at such an exciting time for SportAccord.”

“We are looking forward to a milestone gathering for the international sporting community next year, and I am very much looking forward to working with SportAccord’s team and our valued partners to deliver outstanding events in the future.”

Ferriani will be joined on the SportAccord Executive Board by other newly elected members such as Ingmar De Vos, president of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) representing GAISF, and Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) representing AIOWF. They will serve alongside existing SportAccord Executive Committee member, Francesco Ricci Bitti, president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).

The Executive Board, with Ferriani at the helm, will see the organization through its next major event, SportAccord 2022. The convention will take place from May 15-20, 2022 in Ekaterinburg, Russia and involve figures and organizations from all over the international sports movement.