The Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 was the colophon of seven days of important contacts between the Olympic Movement and the ISMF

Mrs. Regula Meier, ISMF President, with Mr. Ivo Ferriani, President of International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF), and Mr. Luc Tardif, President of International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)

Press Release

The Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 was the colophon of seven days of important contacts between the Olympic Movement and the ISMF

Four exciting and challenging years for our sport in its way to Milano Cortina 2026

The ISMF representatives, Mrs. Regula Meier and Mr. Jordi Canals Fontan, attended the IOC Observer Programme with the members of the delegations of Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026. Our delegation stayed in the same lodgment of part of the staff of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Court of Arbitrage of Sport (CAS), International Testing Agency (ITA) and others, producing interesting exchanges with their respective members.

During the aforementioned programme and the visit to the different sports venues of the other Winter Olympic Federations, our representatives had the precious opportunity to meet Presidents, Vice-Presidents and General Secretaries of the other Winter Olympic International Federations present in Beijing with very interesting approaches. The ISMF was very welcomed as a new International Federation by these Associations. Just to quote the very kind words of a member of the Board of the International Biathlon Union (IBU) “ You are in front of brilliant and exciting years …”.

Regula Meier and Jordi Canals also met the members of the IOC Executive Board, including its President Mr. Thomas Bach, members of the IOC Athletes Commission, high authorities of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of different countries and members of the Association of the National Olympic Committees. Authorities of the NOCs and Sports Ministers reported to us their interest in supporting the inclusion of our sport in the Olympic programme of the Games in 2026 with funds and structures. This is an important fact for the ISMF National Federations.

The ISMF representatives felt that everybody welcomed ski mountaineering, many of those present offered their help and stated the quality of our sport, reporting that it was an interesting sport from a media perspective, “where things happen” and about the success of our sport in the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games.  The success through the media is one of the key values for continuing in the Olympic Games following the 2026 edition. Mrs. Meier and Mr. Canals also met high Executives of the ISMF partner European Broadcasting Union and of the official IOC Olympic Channel.

High level staff of the IOC affirmed that the ISMF needs to enhance its structure with more professional staff. They believes that it is very important that our Federation achieves the adequate and high quality level that the Olympic Games have and request.

At the end of the week and after the Closing Ceremony, where the ISMF was present in the Presidential Box together with Mr. Xi Jinping, Mr. Thomas Bach and members of the other seven Winter Olympic Federations, the ISMF delegates had the deep feeling that the ISMF has become a member of the Olympic Family.

Mrs. Regula Meier, ISMF President, with Mrs. Heike Größwang, General Secretary of Association of the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF)

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