SFISM Master’s students given insight into international sports federation politics
As only one of three women heading an international sports federation, Regula Meier, President of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation, was a guest speaker at the Swiss Federal Institute of Sports Magglingen SFISM for the students of the Master's programme in Elite Sports.
How does a relatively small sports federation assert itself in the turbulent waters of international sports politics? How does this federation function when it relies on volunteer work? And what hurdles must it overcome in the run-up to participating in the Olympics? Regula Meier, President of the International Ski Mountaineering Federation, addressed these and other questions in a guest lecture to students on the SFISM Master's programme in Elite Sport at the beginning of April.
The Swiss national, who has been president of the up-and-coming federation since 2021, presented her sport and its organisational structure, drawing particular attention to the financial challenges it faces. Following on from the previous week's visits by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the students were offered a glimpse behind the scenes of a relatively small international sports association.
Milano Cortina 2026 as a dooropener?
The International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) is about to face the most important months of its existence: in winter 2026, the world governing body for ski mountaineering will be taking part in the Winter Olympics in Italy for the first time ever. For the still young and relatively small federation, this will be a unique opportunity in terms of visibility and sponsorship. At the same time, however, the pressure is immense, as Meier explained to a dozen students in ‘Studio 21’.
