Kasper to serve as interim SportAccord head until elections

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) Swiss IOC member Gian-Franco Kasper will serve as interim head of umbrella body SportAccord until a new president is elected.

Marius Vizer resigned as SportAccord president last month after facing a backlash from federations over his attacks on the International Olympic Committee.

SportAccord said in a statement Monday that Kasper ''exercises the function of an ad-hoc chairman of the council'' until elections are held at an extraordinary general assembly expected to take place in November.

Kasper, who heads the international ski federation, has been a senior vice president of SportAccord.

The future of SportAccord, which represented Olympic and non-Olympic federations, is unclear after more than two dozen federations suspended or cut ties with the organization.

The IOC last week suspended its recognition and annual $300,000 funding for SportAccord and called for a complete restructuring of the body.