Passing of former FIS Vice President Yoshiro Ito

It was with great sadness that FIS learned of the death of Yoshiro Ito.

Ito was the former president of the Ski Association of Japan in addition to serving as the Vice President on the FIS Council. In 2012, upon his retirement from the FIS Council, he was named a FIS Honorary Member as the longest-serving FIS Vice President in the history of the Organisation.

Ito was deeply involved in leading the ski movement in Japan. He was the head of the Organising Committee for the FIS World Cup events in Sapporo and served as the President of the Ski Associations of Hokkaido and Sapporo. Even after his retirement, Ito remains an active force in the snow sports world, even visiting the FIS headquarters in 2018 to meet with former President Gian Franco Kasper to discuss a potential Japanese bid to host the Olympic Winter Games.

Aki Murasato, current FIS Vice President from Japan said of Ito, “He was a very good ski friend as well as being a big asset to the entire Japanese sports community. The entire ski family in Japan mourns this huge loss.”

FIS would like to extend its deepest condolences to the friends, family and former colleagues of Yoshiro Ito.