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. 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. These awards were once part of the Olympic program in the early 20th century. Unlike alpinism and the art competitions, which awarded medals at multiple Games, only one medal was ever awarded for aeronautics. 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.
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 Events1928 Winter Olympics St. Moritz, Grisons 11 – 19 February 25 464 141948 Winter Olympics St. Moritz, Grisons 30 January – 8 February 28 669 22
Medal tables
Medals by Summer Games
Notes Art competitions (1912–1948) are not included in the medal table above, as they were non-sports events formerly part of the Olympic Games. 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. 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. 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, and one in aeronautics for the first crossing of the Alps by glider in 1935, awarded to Hermann Schreiber. 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. 1900 Olympic Games:American Pauline Whittier (USA) (golf; one silver), represented a Swiss club, and her participation and medal were therefore attributed to Switzerland. 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.
Medals by Winter Games
Medals by summer sport
*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.
Medals by winter sport
*Military patrol is considered to be the precursor to biathlon, however the official website of the Olympic Movement designates military patrol as a separate discipline. The Official Report of the 1924 Games regards it as an event within the sport of skiing.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)
List of medalists Summer Olympics Key Denotes Olympic gold medals for special feats Medal NameGamesSportEvent Louis Zutter Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's pommel horse Louis Zutter Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's parallel bars Louis Zutter Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's vault Bernard de Pourtalès Hélène de Pourtalès Hermann de Pourtalès Sailing 1-2 ton race 1 Karl Röderer Shooting 50m free pistol Konrad Stäheli Shooting 300m free rifle kneeing Emil Kellenberger Shooting 300m free rifle 3 positions Friedrich Lüthi Paul Probst Louis Richardet Karl RödererKonrad Stäheli Shooting Team 50m free pistol Franz Böckli Alfred Grütter Emil Kellenberger Louis RichardetKonrad Stäheli Shooting Team 300m free rifle Bernard de Pourtalès Hélène de Pourtalès Hermann de Pourtalès Sailing 1-2 ton race 2 Emil Kellenberger Shooting 300m free rifle kneeing Golf Women's individual Konrad Stäheli Shooting 50m free pistol Willy BrüderlinMax RudolfPaul RudolfHans WalterPaul Staub Rowing Men's coxed four Robert Roth Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's heavyweight Fritz Hünenberger Weightlifting Men's light-heavyweight Charles Courant Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's light heavyweight Édouard CandeveauAlfred FelberPaul Piaget Rowing Men's coxed pair Fritz Zulauf Shooting 30m military pistol Fritz Kuchen Shooting 300m military rifle prone Gustave AmoudruzHans Egli Domenico Giambonini Joseph Jehle Fritz Zulauf Shooting Team 30 m military pistol Gustave AmoudruzUlrich Fahrner Fritz Kuchen Werner Schneeberger Bernard Siegenthaler Shooting Team free rifle 3 positions Eugene AddorJoseph Jehle Fritz Kuchen Werner Schneeberger Weibel Shooting Team military rifle, 300 m + 600 m Eugène Ryter Weightlifting Men's featherweight Alphonse Gemuseus Equestrian Individual jumping August Güttinger Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's parallel bars Josef Wilhelm Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's pommel horse Édouard Candeveau Alfred FelberÉmile Lachapelle Rowing Men's coxed pair Émile Albrecht Alfred ProbstEugen SiggHans Walter Émile Lachapelle Rowing Men's coxed four Hermann Gehri Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's welterweight Fritz Hagmann Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's horizontal bar Paul Martin Athletics Men's 800 m Willy Schärer Athletics Men's 1500 m Hans Bühler Alphonse Gemuseus Werner Stuber Equestrian Team jumping Football Men's tournament Jean Gutweniger Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's parallel bars Jean Gutweniger Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's pommel horse Fritz Hünenberger Weightlifting Men's light-heavyweight Henri Wernli Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's heavyweight Antoine Rebetez Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's pommel horse August Güttinger Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's rope climbing Hans GriederAugust GüttingerJean GutwenigerGeorges MiezOtto PfisterAntoine RebetezCarl Widmer Josef Wilhelm Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's team all-around Josef Schneider Heini Thoma Rowing Men's single sculls Rudolf Bosshard Heini Thoma Rowing Men's double sculls Émile Albrecht Alfred ProbstEugen SiggHans Walter Rowing Men's coxless four Josias Hartmann Shooting 50m rifle prone Arthur Reinmann Weightlifting Men's featherweight Otto Müller Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's welterweight Charles Courant Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's light heavyweight Georges Miez Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's horizontal bar Georges Miez Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's individual all-around Hermann Hänggi Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's pommel horse Hans Grieder August Güttinger Hermann Hänggi Eugen Mack Georges Miez Otto Pfister Eduard Steinemann Melchior Wezel Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's team all-around Eugen Mack Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's vault Hans Bourquin Hans SchöchlinKarl Schöchlin Rowing Men's coxed pair Ernst Kyburz Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's middleweight Hermann Hänggi Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's individual all-around Georges Miez Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's pommel horse Ernst Haas Joseph MeyerOtto BucherKarl SchweglerFritz Bösch Rowing Men's coxed fours Arnold Bögli Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's light heavyweight Charles-Gustave Kuhn Equestrian Individual jumping Eugen Mack Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's horizontal bar Hermann Hänggi Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's parallel bars Hans Minder Wrestling (Freestyle) Men's featherweight Georges Miez Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's floor exercises Georges Miez Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's floor exercises Arthur Tell Schwab Athletics Men's 50 km walk Hermann Schreiber Aeronautics Crossing the Alps with a glider Günter Oskar DyhrenfurthHettie Dyhrenfurth Alpinism Himalaya expeditions of 1930 and 1934 Edgar BuchwalderErnst NievergeltKurt Ott Cycling (Road) Men's team road race Josef Walter Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's floor exercises Eugen Mack Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's individual all-around Michael Reusch Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's parallel bars Eugen Mack Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's pommel horse Walter BachAlbert BachmannWalter BeckEugen Mack Georges MiezMichael ReuschEduard SteinemannJosef Walter Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's team all-around Eugen Mack Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's vault Hermann Betschart Alex HombergerHans Homberger Karl SchmidRolf Spring Rowing Men's coxed fours Ernst Nievergelt Cycling (Road) Men's individual road race Eugen Mack Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's floor exercises Albert Bachmann Gymnastics (Artistic) Men's pommel horse