Switzerland (SUI)

Switzerland first formed a committee in 1902, which functioned only for the Olympic Games of 1904, 1908 and 1912. The National Olympic Committee was created on 7 October 1912, at the Hôtel Meurice in Ouchy-Lausanne, and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the same year.

Switzerland first competed at the 1896 Olympic Games when it was represented by the gymnasts Louis Zutter from Neuchâtel, Charles Champaud, and by the sport shooter Albert Baumann (Champaud was a Swiss national but his 1896 participation is credited to Bulgaria). Switzerland also competed at the first Olympic Winter Games in 1924, and was represented before that in 1920 at Antwerp in both the figure skating and ice hockey events. It has been represented at every Olympic Games and every Olympic Winter Games, one of only four countries to make this claim (Great Britain, France, and Italy are the others), although Switzerland boycotted the 1956 Olympic Games, but had been present at the 1956 Equestrian Games held in Stockholm.

Switzerland has never really been the dominant country in any sport. In the early Games, it had top-notch gymnasts. Until the German Democratic Republic (GDR) became dominant, it was the top nation in bobsledding in the Winter Games. Most of its medals, however, have come in Alpine skiing (75 medals, 27 golds), where the Swiss have always been among the top nations. In total, Switzerland has won 372 medals, 115 of them gold, with 168 medals and 63 gold at the Olympic Winter Games.

Switzerland’s overall counts have been topped by gymnasts Georges Miez and Eugen Mack, both with a total of eight medals; next on the ladder is another gymnast, Sepp Stalder, with a total of seven medals. Miez, Simon Ammann (ski jumping) and Dario Cologna (cross-country skiing) lead the gold count, each with four gold medals.

St. Moritz, Switzerland hosted the 2nd Olympic Winter Games in 1928 and the 5th Olympic Winter Games in 1948. Several Swiss towns have tried to host the Winter Games again, but never passed the bid stage. The city of Lausanne is usually considered to be the “Olympic City” as the IOC has been headquartered there since World War I.