Ruth Metzler-Arnold plans to use her political connections to lobby for Swiss sporting bodies.
Keystone / Peter Klaunzer
Ruth Metzler-Arnold will take the helm at Switzerland’s national Olympic committee as of January 2025.
Metzler-Arnold, who served in the Swiss government from 1999 to 2003, received 329 of 495 valid votes cast by delegates at an event at Swiss Olympic headquarters in Bern on Friday evening. Her rival Markus Wolf received 162 votes.
After former parliamentarian Jürg Stahl, who was Swiss Olympic President since 2017, and former cantonal ministers Jörg Schild (2006-2016) and Walter Kägi (2000-2005), Metzler-Arnold’s election marks the fourth time in a row that a political figure has been chosen to lead the umbrella organisation for Swiss sports.
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Meztler-Arnold is the first woman to hold the position.
While she has never previously worked in a sports-related role, Metzler-Arnold used her political experience to run an effective campaign to win the support of delegates, the Keystone-SDA news agency writes. Meanwhile, delegates clearly considered economic and political components in making their choice – particularly the fact that current savings efforts by the federal government have led to fears about a reduction in sports subsidies.
Her experience in cantonal and federal government has given her an in-depth knowledge of the processes involved in political life, and of which levers to pull at the right time, Metzler-Arnold told delegated on Friday. “It’s a huge advantage to be able to negotiate directly with the people who make the decisions,” she said.
Adapted from German/French by DeepL/dos
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