The Swiss snowboard Olympic medalist Ueli Kestenholz (50) died in an avalanche accident. This was confirmed by the Swiss-Ski association. He was traveling in Lötschental in the canton of Valais on Sunday when an avalanche occurred at an altitude of around 2,400 meters.
The police in the canton of Valais reported the accident without naming names. According to their information, a skier and a snowboarder were traveling in the affected area. The skier was able to get to safety, the snowboarder was swept away by the avalanche. He was rescued from the snow by rescuers and taken to hospital. The “Berner Zeitung” first reported that the victim was Kestenholz.
During his active time from the early 1990s onwards, Kestenholz achieved podium finishes several times in the World Cup. At the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, he won the bronze medal in the snowboard giant slalom. In 2006 he was also present at the Olympic premiere of snowboard cross. “We express our deepest condolences to Ueli’s relatives and loved ones,” says the President of the Swiss Ski Association, Peter Barandun.