Winter sports federations drop out of SportAccord (Reuters)
By Karolos Grohmann BERLIN (Reuters) – Winter Olympics sports federations (AIOWF) on Wednesday left SportAccord, suspending any collaboration with the umbrella organization in the latest fallout following a row with the International Olympic Committee, AIOWF said. In a letter to SportAccord President Marius Vizer, seen by Reuters, AIOWF President Gian Franco Kasper said the decision had been taken with a “great majority.” “We remain confident that in the near future a constructive dialogue between SportAccord and its stakeholders in the interests of the Olympic Movement can be achieved,” Kasper, who also heads the international ski federation, said in a two-paragraph letter.