ÖSV President speaks of a new era

Stadlober introduced himself to the athletes with video messages over the past few days, and freeskier Matej Svancer responded loudly with a World Cup victory in Big Air. “The first World Cup victory after seven days in office is a nice debut. “The women presented themselves very well today too,” said Stadlober in a media roundtable with Austrian journalists in Sölden on Saturday evening. There is no time to get used to the new function, which came unexpectedly and at short notice, because the World Cup winter has already picked up speed. “I'm going full speed ahead, even though I know the sport very well. There is something new, it is a learning process. But I'm not so strange and so freshly caught. I may not be able to dolphin swim yet, but I can crawl.” Peter Schröcksnadel spent thirty years building something that was great and everyone knew what made him tick. “But it’s completely different now. As a woman, I sit there with the team. It's a cut now. You have to say goodbye to what was. We are entering a new era.” When it comes to comparisons with the predecessor, the name Karl Schmidhofer (100 days in office/note) is never mentioned, but always Schröcksnadel. She is now “the woman versus Schröcksnadel,” said Stadlober. The many reactions that Stadlober received after the appointment showed that it is still apparently not so normal for a woman to be at the head of a sports association. Sentences like, “We didn’t think that was possible” were also used. “I’ve always said that if America isn’t ready for a female president, the ÖSV isn’t either,” said Stadlober. “The fact that it can happen so quickly was also due to the courage of the state presidents in agreeing to this, and of course my courage. Many people encouraged me, so maybe it wasn't just courage, but also well thought out.” What scared me? “Maybe the step of being the first woman.” The next steps for cross-country skier Teresa Stadlober's mother, who continues to live in Radstadt, are to further develop the structural reform; the next executive board meeting will take place in Lech/Zürs in November. “We will exchange ideas more closely and promote the spirit of optimism.” The many agendas are divided among several people. “Everyone has their responsibility to bear, it cannot just rest on one shoulder. That’s also an incentive.” Stadlober sees the sports sector as being well positioned. There is a lot of catching up to do when it comes to training. “We have to offer training and further education. If you are ever well trained, this may have a completely different effect in a final interview. If someone doesn't have squad status or a coach says goodbye. You have to be able to look each other in the eye. That someone doesn't have to go into frustration, but that we continue to have them as multipliers in the ÖSV. This is a vision of mine. That’s the most human touch you can bring into it.” World Cup 2025 as a big highlight The topic of sustainability is also a vision and the 2025 Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm are a “green event”. The ÖSV has often been a pioneer and could do this again. More women in sporting leadership positions is just as much a goal as even greater sporting success, increasing the number of members, thinking more supra-regionally and exchanging ideas with other Alpine countries. This is conceivable, for example, in the “Optimal Sports” concept, which emerged from the Mee-Too issue and covers the areas of personality strengthening, health development, resource awareness and, in the future, sports psychology. Stadlober also wants to tackle the area of young talent and the appreciation of the clubs. She doesn't have a solution yet, but there are options such as linking up the districts and splitting up the training sessions. “We have to think more openly and not just in terms of our own structure in the sense of the church tower.” The new president of the International Ski Federation (FIS), Johan Eliasch, also has many ideas, including central marketing. Stadlober does not want to close his eyes to developments. “We are open to further development, but you have to take a close look at the general conditions. The trademark rights are property, we certainly won't give them away, but you can of course look at the marketing rights. But we have to look at our contractual partners. Of course it won’t be that easy.” The first major event awaits Stadlober in February, the Olympic Games in Beijing, which will be held under strict rules due to the corona pandemic. “It will be a mental challenge for all of us. All we can do is try to prepare as best we can and get a lot of information so that we can adapt to the situation.” Only vaccinated athletes will be taken along; the three-week quarantine in China is not an issue for the ÖSV due to the circumstances. “That is unimaginable for me,” explained Stadlober. Not all potential participants are yet fully immunized. You can't oblige anyone to vaccinate; that's everyone's own decision. There are a few people in the ÖSV whose old illnesses like migraines came back after an initial vaccination and who therefore didn't get the second dose yet. These are concerns that concern her, said Stadlober.

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ÖSV President speaks of a new era

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