Simon Ammann, Switzerland’s most successful Winter Olympian of all time, is taking part in his seventh Olympics and is going for his fifth gold. Here, he is celebrating winning at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.
Keystone / David J. Phillip
A total of 168 athletes will represent Switzerland at the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing next month. Of these, 26 have already won an Olympic medal, while 93 are taking part in their first Games.
The goal of Swiss Olympic is to equal the 15 medals won in Pyeongchang, South Korea, four years ago, it said in a statementExternal link on Monday.
More
More
Swiss Olympians exceed medal target
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Olympic team has exceeded the medal goal set for them at the Winter Games in PyeongChang. A look, in photos, at how they got there.
The last Olympic participants to be nominated by the Swiss umbrella organisation are the alpine skiers and the ski crossers, as well as individual athletes from other sports. In all, 93 men and 75 womenExternal link will embark on the journey to Beijing, where the Winter Games will be held from February 4-20.
The 22-strong ski team is led by six-time season winner Marco Odermatt, the leader in the overall World Cup. He is the biggest trump in a powerful team that has realistic hopes of winning medals in 11 disciplines. The other big skiing hopes are Beat Feuz, Lara Gut-Behrami, Corinne Suter, Wendy Holdener and Michelle Gisin.
The 42-year-old curler Silvana Tirinzoni is the oldest athlete in the Swiss team, with the youngest being 17-year-old ice hockey player Alina Marti. Ski jumper and four-time Olympic champion Simon Ammann, 40, is competing in his seventh Olympic Games.
While the United States and many of its allies, including Britain, Canada, Australia, Japan and Denmark, have said they will not send official diplomatic delegations to the Games in protest at China’s human rights record, the Swiss government has said that in principle one of them will travel with the Swiss delegation to represent the country. A definitive decision is still to be taken.
More
More
Swiss to send official representative to Beijing Olympics
This content was published on
The pandemic, and not the international calls for a boycott, would be the only thing stopping a Swiss presence at the official opening.
High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
This content was published on
The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.
Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
This content was published on
Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.
Swiss martyr beatified in Barcelona by Catholic Church
This content was published on
François-Benjamin May (1870-1909), a member of the Marist Brothers congregation, has been recognised as a 'blessed' by the Catholic Church.
Prevention and tech could help save billions on Swiss healthcare costs, says Deloitte
This content was published on
By focusing on prevention and technology, it would be possible to reduce Switzerland's healthcare bill by CHF30 billion a year by 2040, according to Deloitte Switzerland.
Environment director warns of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland
This content was published on
The director of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has warned of increasing climate-related risks in Switzerland in an interview with SonntagsBlick on Sunday.
Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season
This content was published on
The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
No House of Switzerland at China Winter Olympics
This content was published on
Switzerland has cancelled plans for a marketing and meeting venue in Beijing at the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in light of pandemic restrictions.
This content was published on
The Winter Olympic Games have opened in PyeongChang. South Korea. Swiss athletes were cheered on in freezing temperatures.
Pressure builds for a diplomatic boycott of Beijing Games
This content was published on
Switzerland will struggle to defy calls to skip the Winter Olympics, if other democratic states decide to stage a diplomatic boycott of Beijing 2022.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.