116 sets of medals in 16 sports will be awarded at the Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. Only in short track and Nordic combined will Switzerland not be represented.
31.01.2026, 15:30
SDA
Traditionally, the Olympic Games not only provide a stage for established stars, but also put athletes in the spotlight who were previously only known to a specialist audience. With 175 athletes, the largest Swiss line-up of all time for the Winter Games includes both medal candidates and names that would be a surprise to finish in the top three.
The head of the Swiss delegation, Ralph Stöckli, has not set a specific medal target. However, the most recent Winter Games, at which Switzerland won 15 medals in both 2018 and 2022, serve as a guide. Together with Calgary 1988, this is the record haul. History also shows that the Olympic Games regularly write their own laws. High-flyers make a disproportionately large contribution, while other favorites stumble. And new stars keep rising. Names such as Marie-Theres Nadig, Sonny Schönbächler, Gian Simmen, Simon Ammann and Tanja Frieden are examples of this.
Stars, favorites and hopefuls
Marco Odermatt undoubtedly has the greatest potential to become one of the defining faces of these Games. The giant slalom Olympic champion from Beijing is the most talked-about gold candidate in the Swiss team. With three World Championship titles and four overall World Cup victories, the man from Nidwalden is the top favorite in three disciplines. The Swiss ski team also has three other world champions in Franjo von Allmen, Loïc Meillard and Camille Rast.
Switzerland also has a chance of winning medals in other sports. In curling, both the women and the men have regularly impressed at major events in recent years. The performance of the ice hockey team will be watched with particular interest. As finalists in the last two World Championships, they will be competing in an Olympic tournament with all the NHL stars for the first time since Sochi 2014.
Twelve years after their sensational bronze medal win, Ralph Stöckli believes the women's field hockey team are capable of another exploit. "If they play their game on day X and get into a flow, they can compete for medals." The "Chef de Mission" also believes that the wait for the first Swiss bobsleigh medal in twelve years could be coming to an end. "In the ice channel, it would be time again - for a bobsleigh nation like us."
With four Olympic champions from 2022
Four of the seven Swiss Olympic champions from Beijing are back again this year. In addition to Odermatt, freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud is once again among the podium contenders. The two-time slopestyle world champion is already in possession of a complete set of Olympic medals.
However, another triumph for Olympic ski cross champion Ryan Regez and Olympic downhill champion Corinne Suter, who is rebuilding her form after a training crash in December, would be a surprise. Both have struggled so far this season.
Nevertheless, Suter, who is regarded as a specialist for major events, has not lost the race against time. Other team-mates such as Lara Gut-Behrami and Michelle Gisin had to bury their Olympic dreams early on in the season after crashing. Alongside retired Olympic downhill champion Beat Feuz, Switzerland is now missing two other gold medal winners from 2022.
New sport with medal potential
The International Olympic Committee made several adjustments to the program for the 25th Winter Games. The most significant change from a Swiss perspective is in alpine skiing. The mixed team competition was canceled after two events and the individual combined was replaced by a team combined for women and men.
The ski touring race has been added as a new discipline compared to Beijing 2022. Three sets of medals will be awarded in Bormio. There will be a sprint for women and men and a mixed relay. With sprint world champion Marianne Fatton, Switzerland is a serious medal candidate, especially as our country has traditionally been strong in new Olympic sports.
