Jean-Christophe Rolland to Succeed Oswald as FISA President

The International Rowing Federation (FISA) has elected Jean-Christophe Rolland of France as the future President of FISA at the 2013 Ordinary Congress in Chungju, Korea replacing the outgoing Denis Oswald.

Rolland received 117 of the 179 ballots cast. The required absolute majority was 90 votes. Candidates John Boultbee (AUS) and Tricia Smith (CAN) received 50 and 12 votes respectively.

Rolland holds a Master’s Degree in electrical, electronics and communications engineering and has worked for EDF, one of the world’s leading electric utility companies, since 1993. Rolland managed EDF’s sponsorship programme with the London 2012 Olympic Games Organising Committee.

Rolland participated in three Olympic Games, winning bronze in Atlanta and gold in Sydney. He also holds five World Championship medals including two golds. Appointed to FISA’s Athletes Commission in 1994, Rolland served as Chair of the Commission from 2002 to 2011 and served on FISA’s Executive Committee from 2004 to 2011, at which time the FISA Council appointed him as a co-opted member.

Rolland will assume the presidency in July 2014, when the current president Denis Oswald will step down from the position. Denis Oswald, FISA president since 1989, announced earlier this year at FISA’s 2013 Extraordinary Congress that he would seek re-election but only for a transitional period of six to eight months. The FISA Council also decided to name Oswald ‘FISA Honorary President for Life’.

The FISA Council decided to stage the election of Oswald’s successor at the same Congress in order to assist the newly elected “president-elect” in the transfer of knowledge and introductions to the international sports world.

The Congress also elected Tricia Smith as Vice-President. Smith (CAN) was running against the incumbent Vice-President Anita DeFrantz (USA). In addition, Michael Williams of Great Britain, the current Treasurer, was re-elected unopposed. 

Rowing Championships Awarded

Three World Rowing Championship regattas were attributed by the Congress with unanimous decisions: the 2017 World Rowing Championships to Sarasota, United States of America; 2018 World Rowing Championships to Plovdiv, Bulgaria; and the 2015 World Rowing Under 23 Championships to Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

The FISA Council also announced its decision to award the second World Rowing Cup of 2015 to Varese, Italy and the third World Rowing Cup to Lucerne, Switzerland. Lucerne will host the second World Rowing Cup of 2016 along with the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta, and the third and final World Rowing Cup of 2016 will be held in Poznan, Poland.

Three additional events were attributed by the FISA Council: the 2016 World Rowing Masters Regatta to Copenhagen, Denmark; the 2017 World Rowing Masters Regatta to Bled, Slovenia; and the 2015 World Rowing Coastal Championships for Clubs to Lima, Peru. The latter marks the first World Rowing Championship event to be awarded to South America, and the first time that the World Rowing Coastal Championships will take place outside of Europe.

Five new national federations were admitted as members of FISA: Benin, Botswana, Mali, Saudi Arabia and St. Vincent & Grenadines. This brings to 142 the total number of FISA member federations.

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