Switzerland at the Olympics
| Switzerland at the Olympics | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| IOC code | SUI |
| NOC | Swiss Olympic Association |
| Website | www |
| Medals Ranked 19th |
|
| Summer appearances | |
| Winter appearances | |
| Other related appearances | |
| 1906 Intercalated Games | |
Switzerland has sent athletes to compete in every Olympic Games since it first participated in the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Switzerland boycotted the main events of the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, joining several other nations in protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary, due to the Hungarian Uprising. However, Swiss athletes did take part in the equestrian events, which were held earlier that year in Stockholm, Sweden, due to Australian quarantine laws.[1][2] The Swiss dressage team earned a bronze medal in those competitions.
In addition to its sporting achievements, Switzerland holds a unique place in Olympic history as the only country to have won medals in all three discontinued categories of Olympic medals for art and special feats: aeronautics, alpinism, and art competitions.[3] These awards were once part of the Olympic program in the early 20th century.[4][5] Unlike alpinism and the art competitions, which awarded medals at multiple Games, only one medal was ever awarded for aeronautics.[6] Swiss pilot Hermann Schreiber was honored with an Olympic gold medal in at the 1936 Summer Olympics, for being the first person to cross the Alps in a glider.[7][8]
Switzerland is also the home of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), whose headquarters are based in Lausanne. The Swiss National Olympic Committee, known as Swiss Olympic, was established and recognized by the IOC in 1912.
Hosted Games
Switzerland has hosted the Games on two occasions, both in St. Moritz. The nation has never hosted the Summer Olympics.
| Games | Host city | Dates | Nations | Participants | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 Winter Olympics | St. Moritz, Grisons | 11 – 19 February | 25 | 464 | 14 |
| 1948 Winter Olympics | St. Moritz, Grisons | 30 January – 8 February | 28 | 669 | 22 |
Medal tables
Medals by Summer Games
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | |
| 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 5 | |
| did not participate | ||||||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 77 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 13 | |
| 141 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 6 | |
| 133 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 6 | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 22 | |
| 190 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 16 | |
| 181 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 20 | 9 | |
| 157 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 11 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 35 | |
| 149 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 24 | |
| 66 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 22 | |
| 85 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 33 | |
| 151 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 26 | |
| 50 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 20 | |
| 86 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 | |
| 129 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 26 | |
| 99 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 33 | |
| 102 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 37 | |
| 114 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 18 | |
| 102 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 37 | |
| 98 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 46 | |
| 84 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 33 | |
| 103 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 33 | |
| 104 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 24 | |
| 107 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 24 | |
| 127 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 48 | |
| future event | ||||||
| Total (29/30) | 2,667 | 53 | 82 | 77 | 212 | 25 |
- Notes
- ART Art competitions (1912–1948) are not included in the medal table above, as they were non-sports events formerly part of the Olympic Games.[nb 1] Switzerland won a total of seven art competition medals (2 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze), across the 1912, 1928, 1936, and 1948 Summer Olympics.[9]
- FEAT Olympic gold medals awarded for feats of alpinism and aeronautics are not included in the medal table above, as the IOC classifies these awards as separate from the official Olympic sports programme.[13] At the 1936 Games, Switzerland won two such gold medals: one in alpinism for the 1930 and 1934 Himalaya expeditions, awarded to Günter Dyhrenfurth and his wife Hettie,[4] and one in aeronautics for the first crossing of the Alps by glider in 1935, awarded to Hermann Schreiber.[6][7]
- NAT Athletes at the early Olympic Games (1896–1904) are attributed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) according to the national affiliation of their club or team, rather than their nationality.[nb 2]
- 1900 Olympic Games:
American Pauline Whittier (USA) (golf; one silver), represented a Swiss club, and her participation and medal were therefore attributed to Switzerland.[18] - 1904 Olympic Games:
Conversely, Swiss Adolf Spinnler (gymnastics; one gold and one bronze) represented a German club, while Gustav Thiefenthaler (wrestling; one bronze) represented an American club; their medals were therefore attributed to Germany and United States, respectively.[19][20][21]
- 1900 Olympic Games:
Medals by Winter Games
Host country
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| 41 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | |
| 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 70 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 3 | |
| 55 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | |
| 59 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |
| 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | |
| 72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 34 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | |
| 52 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 3 | |
| 59 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | |
| 44 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | |
| 42 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | |
| 70 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 3 | |
| 74 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 | |
| 59 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 8 | |
| 69 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 | |
| 110 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 11 | |
| 140 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 8 | |
| 146 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 6 | |
| 163 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 7 | |
| 166 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 7 | |
| 167 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 8 | |
| 175 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 23 | 8 | |
| future event | ||||||
| Total (25/25) | 1,959 | 69 | 56 | 66 | 191 | 8 |
Medals by summer sport
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 19 | 13 | 47 | |
| 8 | 6 | 11 | 25 | |
| 7 | 8 | 10 | 25 | |
| 6 | 11 | 9 | 26 | |
| 5 | 11 | 8 | 24 | |
| 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 | |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 0 | 6 | 2 | 8 | |
| 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (19 entries) | 53 | 82 | 77 | 212 |
*Medals awarded for special feats and in artistic events are not included, as the IOC classifies these events as separate from the official Olympic sports programme.[13]
Medals by winter sport
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 26 | 27 | 84 | |
| 10 | 10 | 12 | 32 | |
| 8 | 2 | 4 | 14 | |
| 7 | 6 | 5 | 18 | |
| 4 | 1 | 5 | 10 | |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
| Totals (14 entries) | 69 | 56 | 66 | 191 |
*Military patrol is considered to be the precursor to biathlon,[22] however the official website of the Olympic Movement designates military patrol as a separate discipline.[23][24] The Official Report of the 1924 Games regards it as an event within the sport of skiing.[25][26]
List of medalists
Summer Olympics
| Key | |
|---|---|
| † | Denotes Olympic gold medals for special feats |
Winter Olympics
Reallocated medals of the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics
From the 1896 to 1904 Olympic Games, athletes were not always entered by nationality. While many competed under their National Olympic Committees (NOCs), others were entered by clubs, particularly in team events. In such cases, participation and medals could be attributed to the country of the club rather than the athlete's nationality.[17] Consequently, the IOC has applied an inconsistent approach for attributing participation and medals from the 1896–1904 Olympic Games over time, alternating between the athlete's nationality[14][15][16] and the national affiliation of the club they represented.[19][20][21]
Medals reallocated from non-Swiss athletes to Swiss teams
| Medal | Name | Nationality | Affiliation | Games | Sport | Event | Reallocated to | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pauline Whittier | St. Moritz Golf Club |
1900 Paris | Women's individual | [27][18] |
Medals reallocated from Swiss athletes to non-Swiss teams
| Medal | Name | Games | Sport | Event | Reallocated to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adolf Spinnler | 1904 St. Louis | Men's triathlon | |||
| Adolf Spinnler | 1904 St. Louis | Men's individual all-around | |||
| Gustav Thiefenthaler | 1904 St. Louis | Men's freestyle light flyweight |
Summary by sport
Gymnastics
Switzerland sent one gymnast to the first Games in 1896; Louis Zutter won the pommel horse and finished second in the vault and parallel bars.
| Games | Cyclists | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Athens | 1 | 4/8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1900 Paris | 3 | 1/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 16 | 19 | 14 | 49 |
Fencing
Switzerland first competed in fencing at the 1900 Games, with 3 fencers (two men's foilists, one of whom also competed in the épée, and a men's sabreur); none advanced past the quarterfinals.
| Games | Fencers | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 Paris | 3 | 3/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
Rowing
| Games | No. Sailors | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Athens | Event wasn't held | ||||||
| 1900 Paris | 0 | 0/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1904 St Louis | 0 | 0/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1908 London | 0 | 0/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1912 Stockholm | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1916 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1920 Antwerp | 18 | 4/5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 1924 Paris | 29 | 7/7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 1928 Amsterdam | 13 | 5/7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 1932 Los Angeles | 0 | 0/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1936 Berlin | 26 | 7/7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1940 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1944 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1948 London | 19 | 5/7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 1952 Helsinki | 13 | 5/7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7= |
| 1956 Melbourne | 0 | 0/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1960 Rome | 18 | 5/7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9= |
| 1964 Tokyo | 8 | 4/7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| 1968 Mexico City | 18 | 6/7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11= |
| 1972 Munich | 17 | 6/7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6= |
| 1976 Montreal | 4 | 1/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1980 | 10 | 3/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1984 Los Angeles | 9 | 3/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1988 | 7 | 2/14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11= |
| 1992 Barcelona | 9 | 4/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996 Atlanta | 11 | 4/14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3= |
| 2000 Sydney | 11 | 5/14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13= |
| 2004 Athens | 6 | 3/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 Beijing | 1 | 1/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 London | 8 | 2/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 Rio | 11 | 4/14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2020 Tokyo | 11 | 5/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 Paris | 15 | 5/14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12= |
| Total | 292 | 264 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 13 |
Sailing
Switzerland was one of the nations competing in the first Olympic sailing competitions in 1900. The Swiss team included the first female Olympian, who was also the first female Olympic medalist and first female Olympic champion; Hélène de Pourtalès won a gold medal and a silver medal as a member of the crew of the Lérina.
| Games | No. Sailors | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Athens | Scheduled but event wasn't held | ||||||
| 1900 Paris | 9 | 3/13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 1916 St Louis | Not Scheduled | ||||||
| 1908 London | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1912 Stockholm | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1916 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1920 Antwerp | 0 | 0/14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1924 Paris | 1 | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1928 Amsterdam | 1 | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1932 Los Angeles | 0 | 0/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1936 Berlin | 6 | 2/4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1940 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1944 | Games Cancelled | ||||||
| 1948 London | 13 | 3/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1952 Helsinki | 11 | 4/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1956 Melbourne | 0 | 0/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1960 Rome | 11 | 5/5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8= |
| 1964 Tokyo | 7 | 3/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1968 Mexico City | 9 | 4/5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 1972 Munich | 10 | 5/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1976 Montreal | 6 | 3/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1980 Tallinn | 9 | 4/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1984 Los Angeles | 9 | 5/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1988 Busan | 9 | 5/8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1992 Barcelona | 10 | 6/10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1996 Atlanta | 5 | 3/10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 Sydney | 8 | 5/11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004 Athens | 8 | 5/11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 Qingdoa | 9 | 6/11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 Weymouth | 6 | 4/10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 Rio | 9 | 5/10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 Tokyo | 6 | 4/10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 Paris | 7 | 5/10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 179 | 91 / 205 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 26 |
Shooting
Switzerland had one shooter in one event at the inaugural 1896 Games, placing eighth. In 1900, the Swiss dominated the shooting competitions and took 5 out of the 9 gold medals including both of the team championships.
| Games | Shooters | Events | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Athens | 1 | 1/5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1900 Paris | 8 | 8/9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | 6 | 6 | 9 | 21 |
See also
Notes
- ↑ In 1952, art competition medals, as well as the gold medal awards for feats in alpinism and aeronautics, were removed from the official national medal counts.[12] Only since 2021 have they been officially listed again by the IOC in the medal tables and respective National Olympic Committee (NOC) profiles on its website.[9]
- ↑ In 2024, the IOC reinstated its original and current attribution policy for athletes at the early Olympic Games (1896–1904). From 2021 to 2024, the IOC briefly attributed medals in individual events according to the athlete's nationality, even when the athlete represented a foreign club or team.[14][15][16] Since 2024, participation and medals have instead been attributed according to the national affiliation of the club or team represented by the athlete.[17]
References
- ↑ "Olympedia – 1956 Equestrian Olympics Overview". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 2025-05-24. Retrieved 2025-07-17.
- ↑ "Sydney-Bound Horses Face Toughest Animal Import Rules on Planet : Hooved Olympians Set for Longest Ride". The New York Times. 2000-08-19. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ↑ "Switzerland - NOC Profile". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee (IOC). 2024. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
- 1 2 Kluge, Volker; Lippert, Thomas (2013). "The Olympic Alpinism Prize and a promise redeemed" (PDF). International Society of Olympic Historians. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ↑ The Olympic Studies Centre (February 21, 2020). "Art competitions at the Olympic Games" (PDF). Olympic World Library. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- 1 2 Borja, Elizabeth (2016-08-05). "The Year Aeronautics Was an Olympic Event". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- 1 2 "Olympedia – Hermann Schreiber". Olympedia. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
- ↑ Steffen, Daniel (2017-08-04). "Die Segelflieger erobern die Alpen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2024-08-08.
- 1 2 3 "Switzerland - NOC Profile". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee (IOC). 2024. Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- 1 2 "Olympedia – Switzerland (SUI)". Olympedia. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
- 1 2 "Olympic Analytics – Switzerland (SUI)". olympanalyt.com. Olympic Analytics. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ↑ McGillivray, Mary (2024-07-31). "ABC TV's The Art Of explores the surprising history of art competitions at the Olympics". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
- 1 2 Chappelet, Jean-Loup (June 2024). "The Olympic Programme" (PDF). Olympic World Library. International Olympic Committee. p. 5. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- 1 2 "St. Louis 1904 individual all-round men Results - Olympic gymnastics-artistic (pre-2024)". International Olympic Committee. May 2022. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022.
- 1 2 "St. Louis 1904 combined 3 events men Results - Olympic Gymnastics Artistic (pre-2024)". International Olympic Committee. December 2021. Archived from the original on 29 December 2021.
- 1 2 "St. Louis 1904 Light-Flyweight, Freestyle (≤105 pounds) Men Results - Olympic Wrestling (pre-2024)". International Olympic Committee. April 2022. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- 1 2 "Olympedia – FAQ Nationality". Olympedia. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
- 1 2 "Paris 1900 Individual women Results - Olympic Golf". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- 1 2 "St. Louis 1904 individual all-round men Results - Olympic gymnastics-artistic". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- 1 2 "St. Louis 1904 combined 3 events men Results - Olympic Gymnastics Artistic". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- 1 2 "St. Louis 1904 Light-Flyweight, Freestyle (≤105 pounds) Men Results - Olympic Wrestling". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
- ↑ "A Quick Look at Biathlon through the Years". International Biathlon Union. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ↑ "Chamonix 1924 Results". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ↑ "Chamonix 1924 Military Patrol Men Results". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ↑ Official Report (1924), p 646: Le Programme ... II. — Epreuves par équipes - 12. Ski : Course militaire (20 à 30 kilomètres, avec tir). (The Programme ... II. — Team events - 12. Skiing : Military Race (20 to 30 kilometres, with shooting)).
- ↑ Official Report (1924), p 664: CONCOURS DE SKI - Jurys - COURSE MILITAIRE. (Skiing Competitions - Juries - Military Race)
- ↑ "Paris 1900 Individual women Results - Olympic Golf (pre-2024)". International Olympic Committee. October 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
External links
- "Switzerland". International Olympic Committee. 27 July 2021.
- "Switzerland". Olympedia.com.
- "Olympic Analytics/SUI". olympanalyt.com.
