IIHF President and IOC member René Fasel was elected as President of the International Olympic Winter Sport Federation (AIOWF) on Monday, August 26, 2002 in Lausanne, Switzerland. René Fasel defeated co-runner Gian Franco Kasper four votes to three.

The AIOWF consists of the seven Olympic Winter Sport Federations; Biathlon (IBU), Bobsleigh (FIBT), Curling (WCF), Luge (FIL), Skating (ISU), Ski (FIS) and Ice Hockey (IIHF).

The IOC Executive Board is holding meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 27- 29. On Wednesday, the board is expected to cut the field of bidding cities for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games to two, three or four official candidates. Considered certain of making the cut are Vancouver, Canada and Salzburg, Austria. If the board decides to select more than two finalists, the Swiss capital of Bern is expected to join in.

The others in the running are Andorra La Vella, Andorra; Harbin, China; Jaca, Spain; Pyeongchang, S. Korea and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina. They are considered to have little or no chance.

The 2010 winner will be selected by the full IOC assembly at its session in Prague, Czech Republic in July 2003. Last time Canada were hosts to Olympic Winter Games was in 1988, Calgary. Austria and Innsbruck had the games in 1976 while Switzerland has not hosted the Winter Olympics since 1948, at St. Moritz.

For further information please contact:

Szymon Szemberg
IIHF Marketing & Media Relations
Parkring 11, 8002 Zürich, Switzerland
T: +41 1 289 86 07
F: +41 1 289 86 22
E: szemberg@iihf.com