An appeal by four countries against the controversial re-election of Johan Eliasch as FIS President in May has been heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne ©Getty Images

An appeal has been heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne against the re-election of Johan Eliasch as President of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).

Austria, Germany, Croatia and Switzerland had filed an appeal to CAS in June following the election at the FIS Congress in Milan the previous month. 

The four nations wanted CAS to review the proceedings of the Congress as a "precautionary measure" and felt that "procedural motions that were obviously formulated according to democratic principles and correctly submitted or brought forward were not admitted by the external FIS legal counsel".

A decision is not expected to be announced until next year. 

Eliasch was re-elected for another four-year term without challenge on May 26, where members from major skiing nations walked out during the Congress.

The choices on the ballot was a major issue with only Eliasch's name included.

It is claimed by Austria, Germany, Croatia and Switzerland that the Congress had agreed to include an option to vote against Eliasch, who was the only candidate standing, but this was not included on the ballot.

In the end, the 60-year-old Eliasch, a British-Swedish billionaire, was elected with 70 out of 100 votes.

Austria, Germany, Croatia and Switzerland have protested against the re-election of Johan Eliasch as FIS President because they claim they should have had the option of voting
Austria, Germany, Croatia and Switzerland have protested against the re-election of Johan Eliasch as FIS President because they claim they should have had the option of voting "no" ©FIS

German Ski Federation member Stefan Schwarzbach at the time said that the option to vote for one thing "does not correspond to our understanding of the law and is only a farce".

FIS has rejected the claims filed by the four nations.

"Yesterday, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne held a hearing in the appeal filed by the FIS Member Federations Austria, Croatia, Germany and Switzerland against the election of the FIS President at the FIS Congress last May," it said in a statement.

"FIS policy is not to comment on an ongoing court process until a decision has been delivered. 

"We have made our position on the matter very clear.

"FIS are highly confident that it has complied with all applicable rules and regulations in accordance with the FIS statutes and Swiss law. 

"It would not be appropriate to comment further at this point."

The hearing lasted more than eight hours with several legal experts, including the FIS lawyer Stephan Netzle, who oversaw the election at the Congress, giving evidence.