Sport in Switzerland
In Switzerland, most of the people have a regular sport activity and one of four is an active member of a sports club.2 The most important all-embracing organisations for sports in Switzerland are the Federal Office of Sport, and the Swiss Olympic Committee (Swiss Olympic).
Because of its varied landscape and climate, Switzerland offers a large variety of sports to its inhabitants and visitors. While winter sports are enjoyed throughout the country, football and ice hockey remain the most popular sports.3
Major sport events in Switzerland include the Olympic Games, which were held two times in St. Moritz in Winter 1928 and Winter 1948, and, more recently, the UEFA Euro 2008.
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International sports
Winter sports
Skiing and mountaineering are much practiced by Swiss people and foreigners, the highest summits attract mountaineers from around the world. The Haute Route or the Patrouille des Glaciers race have international reputation.
Curling has been a very popular winter sport for more than 30 years. The Swiss teams have won 3 World Men's Curling Championships and 2 Women's titles. The Swiss men's team skipped by Dominic Andres won a gold medal at 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
Stéphane Lambiel, two-time winner of the World Figure Skating Championships amongst numerous other domestic and international competitions, is one of the world's top figure skaters.
Ice Hockey
Most Swiss people follow ice hockey and support one of the 12 clubs in the League A. In April 2009, Switzerland hosted the 2009 IIHF World Championship for the 10th time.4 The Swiss team's latest achievement in ice hockey is the 1953 bronze medal.
Association football and Beach Football
Like many other Europeans, most Swiss are fans of association football and the national team or 'Nati' is widely supported. The national team has previously qualified for 7 World Cups and a European Championship (they qualified for Euro 2008 automatically as hosts). At the 2006 World Cup, the team had one of the youngest squads in the competition but managed to progress to the Round of 16 unbeaten and only went out after losing to Ukraine on penalties with score at 0-0 in extra time. In the summer of 2008, Switzerland co-hosted the 2008 European Championships. The Swiss did not progress past the group stage, tallying 2 losses and a win. In November 2009, they secured automatic qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by finishing at the top of their group and also had the best defensive record with only 8 goals conceded in 10 matches.
The Switzerland national beach football team won the Euro Beach football Cup in 2005 and were runners-up twice, in 2008 and 2009. More recently, they were also runners-up in the 2009 FIFA Beach football World Cup that took place in November.
Rugby union
Swiss rugby dates back over a century.
More recently, 2006-07 Heineken Cup clash between the French side Bourgoin and Irish rugby's Munster was moved from Bourgoin's home ground, to the Stade de Genève (Geneva Stadium). The stadium's capacity is 30,000, and attendance on the day was 16,255.5
Other sports
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Over the last few years several Swiss tennis players, like Roger Federer, Martina Hingis and Patty Schnyder, have been multiple Grand Slam singles champions. Federer has won 16 Grand Slam Titles and holds the record for the longest consecutive stay as the world number 1.
Switzerland is also the home of the sailing team Alinghi which won the America's Cup in 2003 and defended the title in 2007. Golf is becoming increasingly popular, with already more than 35 courses available and more in planning. André Bossert is a successful Swiss professional golfer.
Other sports where the Swiss have been successful include fencing (Marcel Fischer), cycling (Fabian Cancellara), kickboxing (Andy Hug), whitewater slalom (Ronnie Dürrenmatt—canoe, Mathias Röthenmund—kayak), ice hockey (Swiss National League), beach volleyball (Sascha Heyer, Markus Egger, Paul and Martin Laciga), and skiing, (Bernhard Russi, Pirmin Zurbriggen, Didier Cuche). Switzerland is the home to two Gaelic Football team, Inneoin Zurich GAA and Saint Gallen Bears GAA Club (List of Gaelic games clubs outside Ireland#Switzerland)
Motorsport racecourses and events were banned in Switzerland following the 1955 Le Mans disaster with exception to events such as Hillclimbing. However, this ban was overturned in June 2007.6 During this period, the country still produced successful racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Jo Siffert and successful World Touring Car Championship driver Alain Menu. Switzerland also won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2007-08 with driver Neel Jani. Swiss motorcycle racer Thomas Lüthi won the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the 125cc category.
High profile drivers from Formula One and World Rally Championship such as Michael Schumacher, Nick Heidfeld, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Sébastien Loeb all have a residence in Switzerland,7 sometimes for tax purposes.89
Local sports
Traditional sports include Swiss wrestling or "Schwingen". It is an old tradition from the rural central cantons and considered the national sport by some. Hornussen is another indigenous Swiss sport, which is like a cross between baseball and golf. Steinstossen is the Swiss variant of stone put, a competition in throwing a heavy stone. Practiced only among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century. It is also central to the Unspunnenfest, first held in 1805, with its symbol the 83.5 kg stone named Unspunnenstein.
Government
Events
- Lauberhorn
- Patrouille des Glaciers
- Weltklasse Zürich
- Athletissima
- Davidoff Swiss Indoors
- Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad
- Swiss Cup
- Spengler Cup
See also
- Swiss Sports Personality of the Year
- Switzerland at the Olympics
- Football in Switzerland
- Switzerland men's national ice hockey team
- Roger Federer
- Martina Hingis
References
- ^ Michelin Travel Publications, Switzerland, p. 51, 2000
- ^ Studie «Sport Schweiz 2008» admin.ch, Retrieved on 2009-06-24
- ^ Sport in Switzerland topendsports.com. Retrieved 2011-05-12
- ^ IIHF World Championships 2009 official website
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Switzerland lifts ban on motor racing". GrandPrix.com & DueMotori.com. 6 June 2007. http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Switzerland_lifts_ban_on_motor_racing. Retrieved 23 September 2008.
- ^ Sébastien Loeb Identity card
- ^ BBC Hamilton decides to leave Britain
- ^ Celebrities in Switzerland - Where Tina Turner and Co. Live