Czech candidate narrowly misses out on IIHF presidency

Former Czech ice hockey goalkeeper Petr Bříza came within three votes of becoming president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). In the recent election in Tenerife, Bříza led the first round but lost the decisive vote to Germany's Franz Reindl by 60 votes to 57. He subsequently retained his position as the federation's first vice-president. Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Bříza said geopolitical divisions had influenced the election, particularly disagreements over the possible return of Russian and Belarusian teams to international competitions. He described the narrow defeat as part of sporting life and thanked his supporters.