Alexandra Meissnitzer / GEPA pictures

Former Austrian ski racing star Alexandra Meissnitzer has taken a senior leadership position with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation following Alexander Ospelt’s election as FIS president.

Meissnitzer will serve as FIS director of strategy and public affairs, working directly within the president’s office. FIS lists her responsibilities among a leadership group that also includes the deputy secretary general, general counsel and head of the president’s office.

“In my new role as director of strategy and public affairs, I look forward to working with my new boss, FIS President Alexander Ospelt, taking on responsibility and helping shape the future of our sport,” Meissnitzer wrote on Instagram.

A Remarkable Change in Standing

The appointment represents a notable change for Meissnitzer, who publicly criticized the federation’s leadership shortly before the FIS presidential election in June.

Meissnitzer spoke about a significant loss of trust and a lack of transparency within FIS under then-President Johan Eliasch. Following those comments, she was removed from the guest list for the FIS Congress in Belgrade, Serbia.

Ospelt subsequently defeated Eliasch by the narrowest possible margin, winning the presidential election 65-64.

“Following my public statement shortly before the election in June, it was far from certain what my future within FIS would look like,” Meissnitzer wrote. “That makes me appreciate the trust now being placed in me even more.”

According to Austrian media reports, her new responsibilities include strategic planning, collaboration with national ski associations, representation and public affairs.

An Athlete’s Perspective

Meissnitzer brings the experience of one of Austria’s most accomplished alpine racers to the position. She won the overall World Cup title in 1999, along with the giant slalom and super-G discipline titles. That same year, she became a two-time world champion at Vail/Beaver Creek.

She finished her career with three Olympic medals, 14 World Cup victories and 44 World Cup podiums.

“As a former ski racer, I care deeply about the people who bring our sport to life every day: our athletes,” Meissnitzer wrote. “They embrace competition and, with it, the daily measurement of their performance. They demonstrate what is possible through courage, passion, discipline and perseverance.”

Meissnitzer said FIS must give athletes a stronger platform to showcase both their performances and their personalities. She also identified climate change, youth participation and greater opportunities for smaller nations and less-prominent disciplines as important challenges for the federation’s new leadership.

“There is a lot to do,” she wrote. “And I am looking forward to it. I’m ready.”

Sources: FIS, Alexandra Meissnitzer’s Instagram account and Austrian media reports.

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Alexander Ospelt, Alexandra Meissnitzer