Ivo Ferriani was elected as the new President of AIOWF at its General Assembly ©Getty Images

Ivo Ferriani has become the new President of the Association of Winter Olympic International Federations (AIOWF), replacing the retiring Gian-Franco Kasper.

The AIOWF confirmed its seven members "unanimously" elected the 60-year-old Italian at its online General Assembly yesterday.

Ferriani has been President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) since 2010 and was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee in 2016 before becoming the winter representative on the Executive Board in 2018.

Heike Größwang has been named as AIOWF’s new secretary general - a role she also does for the IBSF.

The German replaces Britain’s Sarah Lewis who relinquished her position within AIOWF after being dismissed by the International Ski Federation (FIS) last month.

Ferriani is considered a loyal supporter of IOC President Thomas Bach, right ©Getty Images
Ferriani is considered a loyal supporter of IOC President Thomas Bach, right ©Getty Images

Kasper, the President of the FIS, claimed the reins from fellow Swiss René Fasel as the AIOWF head in 2014, but has now decided to retire.

He is set to end his long reign at the FIS when he steps down in May 2021.

Ferriani was a bobsleigh athlete from 1982 to 1990 and participated in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary in Canada.

From there he moved onto coaching and management before serving as the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competition manager at Turin 2006.

He also serves on the IOC’s Beijing 2022 Coordination Commission, the Sustainability and Legacy Commission, the Women in Sport Commission and Entourage Commission.

The AIOWF said it also "recognised" Kasper and Josef Fendt, who is set to step down as President of the International Luge Federation later this month.