Athletes now get a vote on the FIS Council

History was made at FIS Congress on Friday when the FIS Council elected its first-ever voting athlete representative from the FIS Athlete Commission. Retired Swedish World Cup athlete, Jessica Lindell-Vickarby, became only the second woman ever to sit on the council.

She currently serves as the chair of the FIS Athlete Commission, and up until now, the athlete representative has only been able to observe and report at FIS Council meetings, not vote.

@jlindellvikarby unanimously elected to FIS Council as representative of the FIS Athletes’ Commission! #FISCongress pic.twitter.com/FZHAUhdCoG

— FIS (@FIS_news) June 10, 2016

“As president, I have been to two council meetings, but now I can vote on everything, but World Championship site selection,” Vickarby said. “It would be unfair to participate in that process as it would give that nation an additional vote.”

Unlike her predecessors such as American Nordic skier Kikkan Randall, the Swede will be now be involved in many major decisions made by the council.

“It is interesting to see what is discussed on the council level,” she said. “Some issues are breezed over and others generate a lot of discussion.”

Vickarby was not willing to elaborate further on which issues the council was debating heavily. The retired FIS athlete will be up for re-election at the World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland next season.

During her racing career, Vickarby earned the giant slalom bronze medal at the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail-Beaver Creek (USA) and claimed two FIS World Cup victories and six podiums.