(ATR) Sarah Lewis plays a leading role in the Winter Olympics as secretary general of FIS, the International Ski Federation.
Lewis is number 20 in the Around the Rings Golden 25 for 2016. Now in its 20th year, the survey ranks 25 individuals or events expected to have a major influence on the Olympics in the year ahead.
One of her immediate challenges in 2016 is the satisfactory staging of the first test events for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. The venue for the alpine test in early February is still not finished and Lewis will be one of the experts who will be part of the decision-making if postponement is needed.
After PyeongChang in 2018 Lewis and FIS will face the task of bringing the sport to China for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. Venues for skiing north of the city are not known for their prolific snow, nor is competitive skiing a major sport in China.
The U.K. native, 51, has worked at FIS in Switzerland since 1994 after leading the British ski team. She competed at the 1988 Games in Calgary.
Also secretary general of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations, Lewis is part of discussions on reorganizing SportAccord, of which AIOWF is a stakeholder.
2015 rank: unranked
Written by Ed Hula.
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