★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ SPOTLIGHT ≡
● Skiing ● The International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) confirmed that Urs Lehmann (SUI) has left as chief executive, less than a year after moving to FIS in August 2015, from his role as the head of the Swiss skiing federation.
This comes in advance of Thursday’s FIS Congress elections in Belgrade (SRB), where incumbent President Johan Eliasch, declared as a candidate from Georgia, is being challenged by GB Snowsport chief executive Victoria Gosling and FIS Council member Alexander Ospelt (LIE).
FIS Council members Dexter Paine of the U.S. and Anna Harboe Falkenburg (DEN) withdrew as Presidential candidates on 26 May. A 5 May 2026 joint letter from the federations of Austria, Canada, Germany, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and the U.S. urged delegates to vote for anyone but Eliasch.
Lehmann ran against Eliasch, then a British candidate, in the 2021 FIS elections and received the second-highest vote total of 29, with Eliasch at 65. It was reported that Lehmann decided to leave FIS over the organization’s finances and the direction that Eliasch prefers.
It had been hoped that Lehmann’s appointment as chief executive would create a calmer attitude within FIS between the large federations which have opposed Eliasch and the FIS leadership, but this appears to have ended with impactful timing so close to the FIS Congress.
≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games ● The athlete activist organization Global Athlete published a proposal on Sunday to pay athletes participating in the Olympic Games an honorarium of $25,000 and asks to eliminate regulations related to athlete communications in Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter.
The proposal is an interesting move away from the drumbeat of stars for prize money for the Games to a broad-based approach. This is only an interim approach for Global Athlete, which has demanded “a collective bargaining agreement that includes fair revenue sharing and athlete representation.”
Observed: The Sports Examiner has suggested this approach starting back in July 2025, and expanded on it last week. However, Global Athlete does not mention the root of the problem for many financially-challenged athletes: their sports are commercially irrelevant and the only event they are involved in that makes serious money is the once-in-four-years Olympic Games.
● Football ● A FIFA World Cup 2026 referee from Somalia has been denied entry into the U.S., with U.S. Customs and Border Protection stating Monday:
“During processing, the traveler underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP’s inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility.
“Following inspection, the traveler, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry.”
The Associated Press identified the traveler as Omar Artan, the only Somali official involved in the tournament.
¶
Former French soccer star Michel Platini, the former elected head of UEFA from 2007-16, filed a complaint in France against current FIFA President Gianni Infantino (SUI), his former Secretary General at UEFA.
The filing is against a total of six Swiss football and legal officials over claims of false accusations that kept him from being elected FIFA President. A suit against FIFA is also expected.
Platini resigned amid accusations of fraud regarding payments from FIFA during the time Sepp Blatter (SUI) was President, and was twice acquitted in Swiss courts.
● Ice Hockey ● The International Ice Hockey Federation announced the preliminary-round groups for the 16-team 2027 men’s World Championship in Germany, with 2026 finalists Finland and Switzerland in Group A and the U.S. and Canada in Group B.
Not listed is Russia, which the IIHF is now determining eligibility on an “event-by-event” basis after its Disciplinary Tribunal threw out the federation’s blanket ban on Russian participation.
● Swimming ● World-leading performances at the Australian Trials for the Commonwealth Games and Pan-Pacific Championships, with distance ace Sam Short winning the men’s 400 m Freestyle in 3:40.67, a lifetime best by 0.01 and the 10th performance all-time. He remains the no. 5 performer in history.
Double-double Olympic Backstroke champ Kaylee McKeown lowered her own world-leading time in the women’s 50 m Back at 27.13, ahead of teammate Mollie O’Callaghan (27.19, world no. 2).
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 681-event International Sports Calendar for 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
