AIOWF Calls for Dialogue with SportAccord President -- On the Scene

(ATR) The Association of International Olympic Winter Federations (AIOWF) issued a statement to Marius Vizer expressing "disagreement" with the SportAccord president’s controversial comments, calling for "constructive dialogue."

AIOWF and its seven federations jointly agreed to tackle the matter differently and more calmly than its summer counterpart ASOIF, which has threatened to withdraw its’ association with SportAccord.

"We expressed our disappointment and we hope we find a solution for a constructive discussion with the different parties involved," said AIOWF president Gian Franco Kasper, referring to Vizer and the IOC.

"We didn’t just want to follow the summer sports. We were a little bit more diplomatic in the way that we expressed our concerns.

"There’s no reason to overreact. If we go out with the declarations today or tomorrow, what does that change?"

The statement was sent to Vizer, SportAccord and all international federations immediately following AIOWF’s four-hour general assembly at the Sochi Expocenter on Apr. 21.

It concludes, "the AIOWF Members call for constructive dialogue between SportAccord and all stakeholders in the interest of the Olympic movement."

In Vizer’s opening remarks at the SportAccord council meeting Monday he attacked IOC president Thomas Bach and his commitment to the international federations also accusing him of blocking SportAccord’s attempts to develop multi-sport events.

The winter federations are optimistic that they will have the opportunity to meet with Mr. Vizer and further discuss the SportAccord president’s unpopular stance toward Thomas Bach and the IOC pertaining to the international federations.

"That’s our hope, but we’ll see what comes out," Kasper said.

"I don’t expect too much."

AIOWF and ASOIF have a previously scheduled meeting on Thursday morning where they will likely further discuss the issue and appropriate measures to take.

The seven federations of AIOWF met with and heard updates from the PyeongChang 2018 organizing committee.

"We’re coming into the first winter with a number of test events so it’s really becoming very operational now with POCOG, so it was a good and important meeting," said FIS secretary general Sarah Lewis.

Also on the general assembly agenda was a report from the IOC Sports Department delving into the implementation of Agenda 2020.

Additionally, AIOWF received an update on the Olympic Channel, although still in its infancy.

"The Olympic channel is meeting with all the IFs individually to discuss their individual situation," Lewis informed.

"It’s designed to support and promote the Olympic movement," Lewis said of the highly anticipated Agenda 2020 project.

Finally, the IOC Sports Department provided the latest news and updates regarding the 2016 Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games, now just 10 months away.

FIS World Cup at Rosa Khutor Unlikely in Near Future

Kasper also addressed whether the FIS World Cup ski tour will return to the challenging and steep slopes of Rosa Khutor, site of Sochi’s Olympic alpine ski races, in the foreseeable future.

"It’s just a question of programming – tell me where in the calendar we can put in," Kasper said referring to the packed schedule of alpine world cups from late October to March.

"There was a pope named Gregory who made the Gregorian calendar that we all use and he just didn’t put in enough weekends in the winter," Kasper quipped. "In 1500, he made this calendar completely wrong."

"Of course we would like to come back here – we have the Junior Worlds and some Europeans Cups, but for the World Cup over the next two or three years we have no space.

"It’s certainly nothing against the venue," Kasper said of Rosa Khutor.

The FIS Junior Alpine Ski World Championships will be contested at the 2014 Olympic venue next winter.

Written by Brian Pinelliin Sochi

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