Swiss ‘very satisfied’ halfway through Paris Olympics

Swiss volleyballers Esmée Böbner (bottom) and Zoé Vergé-Dépré celebrate a win against China on Sunday. Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Six medals and five fourth places – Swiss Olympic is very satisfied with the results of the first week of the 2024 Summer Games. The athletes also rave about the atmosphere in Paris.

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The 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro with seven medals and 23 diplomas (awarded to top-eight finishers) was the target set by the umbrella organisation Swiss Olympic and head of delegation Ralph Stöckli. Halfway through the competitions in Paris, they are well on track. With six medals, the figure for Rio has almost been reached. It was clear from the outset that the 13 medals won in Tokyo three years ago could hardly be regarded as a target. In the second week, there are fewer disciplines on the programme in which the Swiss are strong.

On Sunday morning, Stöckli was satisfied with the results so far. “The currency of success is medals,” said the former top curler. “The road is getting rockier. But I also sense that the appreciation for places in the top eight or so is increasing.” He also emphasised the five fourth places achieved by the Swiss team in the first week of the competition.

“If the dice had fallen correctly, more would have been possible. But it could also be less.” Together with 21 diplomas already, this impressively demonstrates the breadth of Swiss sport, he said. “That makes me massively proud.”

Personally, he said he was particularly pleased with the medals won by the female shooters. Nina Christen did not get up to speed as hoped; Chiara Leone and Audrey Gogniat stepped into the breach for her. As in the past, Stöckli emphasised what he sees as the exemplary transformation of the shooting association from an amateur to a modern professional sport.

‘Main motivation’

A recurring theme of the first half of the Paris Olympics is the athletes’ raving about the ambience at the competition venues. Stöckli speaks of a mammoth task that the organising committee has mastered very well. After the usual “organised chaos prior to the opening ceremony”, everything has gone very smoothly, from the village to the arenas to the transport, he said.

The sporting success of the French hosts – and the sustained development of the British after the 2012 home games – encourages Stöckli in his endeavours to bring the 2038 Winter Games to Switzerland. “That’s the main motivation,” he said. “You can see what a boost it means for sport.”

But first he and his team have to perform well in the second half of the Paris Games.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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