Ivo Ferriani is to represent the Winter IFs on the IOC Executive Board ©IBSF

Italy's Ivo Ferriani is to be proposed as the winter sports representative on the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to replace Gian-Franco Kasper, insidethegames understands.

This was decided at a closed General Assembly of the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF) here in a decision which must still be ratified by the IOC.

insidethegames understands there was a 4-3 vote in favour after an unsuccessful proposal to delay the decision until after all the winter sports had held elections this year.

The International Ski Federation, International Biathlon Union and International Luge Federation supported the proposal as well as the Ferriani-led International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation.

Kasper will stand-down as an IOC member this year but still has two years left to serve as AIOWF President.

The Swiss official was the first beneficiary of a new rule granting members special dispensation to remain as an IOC member beyond the age of 70.

This rule, however, lasts for a maximum of four years and Kasper celebrated his 74th birthday in January.

Ferriani was elected to the IOC in 2016 with an eye to one day becoming the winter representative.

The 58-year-old is considered a loyal supporter of IOC President Thomas Bach.

It is expected that he will be rubber-stamped for the position by the IOC later this year.

His position is dependent, however, on him being successfully re-elected as IBSF President later this year, with it likely that he will use this as a bargaining chip during his campaign.

Other topics discussed during the meeting are hazy due to its secretive format which - unlike the three other umbrella federations representing Summer Olympic, IOC-recognised and independent members of sport - was not open to the media.

IBU representative Max Cobb, one of the organisation's vice-presidents, did give an update on the situation within the governing body following the criminal investigation opened last week against the organisations former President and secretary general: Anders Besseberg and Nicole Resch.

Cobb, who also provided a similar update to the IOC, said that the IBU are still functioning as a governing body and are conducting work including the analysis of evidence regarding potential Russian doping cases.