Anyone in charge of an organization or association knows there is normally a power struggle when you are heading into any election when you run again and it’s not always easy.

Individuals seek the position some for more of an ego attitude, while the majority want the position for the right reasons – but several options come into play.

Now we are hearing that Gian Franco Kasper who has been at the helm of the governing body since 1998 indicated to the FIS Council he wishes to seek re-election at their Autumn meeting in Oberhofen.

He was first elected in 1998 and was previously the FIS Secretary General serving under previous President Marc Hodler.

If he (Kasper) is re-elected for another four-years, he would finish his term after the his 78th birthday as well as raise concerns for the FIS having had just four Presidents in 98 years, since being founded in 1924.

Sweden’s Ivar Holmquist served as the FIS’ first President from 1924 to 1934 and was succeeded by Norwegian Nicolai Ramm Østgaard who was in charge from 1934 to 1951.

Following this Switzerland’s Hodler remained at the helm for a 47-year spell until 1998 when the Olympic bid scandal for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and Paralympics, retired as FIS President at the age of 80.

Kasper has led the organisation since, with the official having last been re-elected at the governing body’s Congress in Barcelona in 2014.

The election will take place at the FIS Congress, which is due to be held during May in in Coast Navarino, Greece.

Prior to this he worked at St. Moritz for the tourist office and served on the organizing committee putting together the bid for the 1974 Alpine World Ski Championships becoming FIS Secretary General the following year.

He is also head of the Association of International Winter Olympic Sports Federations and was a longstanding member of the WADA Foundation Board before being replaced by Patrick Baumann last year.

The FIS President has served on the IOC Coordination Commissions for the Salt Lake 2002, Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.

Kasper is currently a member of the Commissions for the Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics also holding the same role for the Youth Olympic Games (Innsbruck 2012) and Lillehammer in 2016.

Earlier this year he called for a ban of Russian athletes from next year’s Winter Olympic Games with the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany, later apologizing for his remarks.

Currently there are now 130 affiliated FIS members Associations.