FISA’s patriarch
2009 marks the 20th anniversary of Thomas Keller’s passing. Thomi, as he was known
among the rowing family, was a father figure who always put the athletes first, and
although the sport that he loved and the federation he nurtured during his long tenure as
president have changed enormously since he died, the spirit of Thomas Keller lives on.
ThomasKeller was born in 1924. He was
elected President of FISA in 1958, at the age of
34 and was then the youngest president of an
international sports federation ever. At that time
he was still an active athlete himself, and he
made it his principle always to give priority to
the competitors’ interests, an axiom which has
been a guiding principle for his beloved sport
ever since.
A chemical engineer, industrialist and company
director, he presided over the Swiss conglomerate
for sport timing, “ Swiss Timing ” for more than a
quarter of a century (from 1972 to 1989). He was
also President of GAISF, the General Association
of International Sports Federations from 1969 to
1986.
Many of the changes made during Thomi’s term
as FISA President still live on until today. The
first thing he did was improve the standard of
umpiring. Lane marking was introduced at the
Olympic regatta on Lake Albano, Italy, in 1960.
The rules of racing underwent a major overhaul
in 1961. Early in the 1960s, FISA created a flag
of its own of five oars in the five Olympic ring
colours. The flag can still be seen floating >
