Gian-Franco Kasper

Gian-Franco Kasper (born 24 January 1944 in St. Moritz) is a Swiss ski official who has been president of the International Ski Federation (FIS) since 1998. Kasper also serves as a member both of the International Olympic Committee (since 2000) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (since 2003).

He earned his degrees in journalism, philosophy, and psychology from the University of Zurich in 1966. After his university studies, he worked as an editor for the Courier de St-Moritz.

Kasper then went into the tourism industry in 1974, establishing a Swiss tourism office in Montreal, Canada. The following year, he became Secretary-General of the FIS by then-President Marc Hodler, a position he served until Hodler's retirement in 1998. Kasper succeeded Hodler as FIS President, a position he has held since.

Kasper received a Doctor Honoris Causa from the National Sports Academy of Bulgaria in Sofia on 14 December 2007. He was also named an honorary citizen of Cavalese, Italy in January 2009 during the 2008-09 Tour de Ski.

In 2006, Kasper was noteworthy for claiming that women should not be permitted to ski jump on the grounds that it might be harmful to them medically, though he did not specify exactly what harm might befall women ski jumpers that men are not subject to.

References

• FIS Newsflash 157. 12 December 2007.
• FIS Newsflash 213. 7 January 2009.
• 3 February 2001 International Herald Tribune interview with Kaspar.
• IOC profile
• Kasper re-elected to FIS presidency in 2006
• Why Are Women Being Left Out in the Cold?