The giant duel in the thrilling final round on the Schwägalp between Samuel Giger and Fabian Staudenmann ends in a defeat. This is enough for the two strongest wrestlers of the season to win the last Bergkranzfest of the year together.
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- Samuel Giger and Fabian Staudenmann win the Schwägalp Schwinget after the two athletes were unable to decide a winner among themselves in the final round.
- For guest wrestler Staudenmann, it is his first triumph on the Schwägalp. For Giger, it is his sixth win.
- The highlight of the season will be the Federal Jubilee Wrestling Festival in Appenzell on September 8.
Both Giger and Staudenmann swung for victory in the twelve-minute final round, and came very close. However, neither the Schwägalp record winner Giger nor Bernese Staudenmann - who spectacularly beat the Thurgau native in the final round of the Bernese Cantonal in Burgdorf a week ago - managed the decisive throw.
As both received 9.00 points each for their active swinging style, they remained ahead in the final standings. While Staudenmann triumphed for the first time on the Schwägalp, Giger is now a six-time winner. The 26-year-old last won the local festival in 2022. Overall, Giger celebrated his 32nd wreath victory, while Staudenmann, who is two years younger, won his 15th.
Giger with a race to catch up - Staudenmann takes on Orlik
On the Schwägalp, Giger started with a defeat against Adrian Walther from Bern, after which he confidently eliminated all his opponents on his way to the final round. Staudenmann, for his part, won his first three rounds against Werner Schlegel, Marco Good and Mario Schneider from north-eastern Switzerland, giving him a one-point lead over the competition at the midway point of the festival. After being defeated by the co-favorite Armon Orlik, Staudenmann secured his well-deserved place in the final round by defeating his Bernese association colleague Curdin Orlik in the 5th round.
Highlight of the season in Appenzell
Just a quarter of a point behind the Giger/Staudenmann duo were Armon Orlik, his brother Curdin Orlik, Adrian Walther, Bernhard Kämpf and Lario Kramer, five other wrestlers who would also have been able to claim victory in the final round with 8.75 points.
The Schwägalp Schwinget was the last test of strength before the big highlight of the season, the Federal Jubilee Wrestling Festival on September 8 in Appenzell.
