Walter Reusser, Co-CEO Sport of Swiss-Ski Highlights Swiss Successes

Walter Reusser, Co-CEO Sport of Swiss-Ski, visited all the snow sports competition venues in Bormio, Cortina, Livigno, Antholz, and Val di Fiemme during the first days of the Olympics. In this interview, he discusses the sporting achievements of the individual Swiss-Ski teams so far, his experiences with the decentralized organization on site, and his expectations for the remaining competition days.

As of Monday afternoon, Swiss-Ski has won 10 medals after 10 of 16 competition days – 5 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze. What's your assessment of the team's performance so far?

Walter Reusser: I am extremely proud of the fact that our athletes were able to replicate the performances they had already demonstrated throughout the entire World Cup winter at the season's highlight event. Those who competed as favorites were able to handle the pressure. They managed to unleash their full potential at the crucial moment – ​​an exceptional achievement. The nine medals won so far are by no means a given. The men's alpine team delivered an incredible performance, which makes us incredibly proud. Mathilde Gremaud achieved world-class results under the most difficult conditions, which is extremely impressive. Gregor Deschwanden also wrote a wonderful story. His medal was unexpected, but the entire team worked hard behind the scenes to make it happen. It was the reward for their unwavering belief.

With three gold medals, Franjo von Allmen is already one of the biggest stars of these Winter Games. What makes him so strong in your opinion?

When someone wins three Olympic gold medals and is also a world champion – and all at just 24 years old – it simply demonstrates incredible talent. The willpower, dynamism, and self-confidence with which Franjo achieved this was extremely impressive. He was able to maintain his focus and intensity after winning his first gold medal for the second and especially for the third competition, the Super-G. Franjo is one of those exceptional athletes who possess that little bit extra that other top skiers at the world-class level bring to the table.

You visited all five locations where Swiss-Ski athletes are active. What impression did you get of the teams and the surrounding environment?

As an interim conclusion, we can state that the competitions so far, thanks in part to the mostly good weather, have been of a very high standard – at venues where the organizers possess extensive expertise. Swiss-Ski has deployed 236 athletes and staff members across the various locations. During my visits to the teams so far, I've sensed focus, dynamism, self-confidence, and a strong sense of responsibility. Furthermore, we are working very closely and effectively with Swiss Olympic. Their representatives give us considerable freedom, allowing us to organize ourselves in the same way we are accustomed to doing for World Cups and World Championships. I believe this is one of the key pieces of the puzzle for our success.

Aside from the sporting achievements, what has impressed you most on your tour through Northern Italy so far?

It's a pleasure to be here in Italy; you can feel the hospitality and feel welcome. The organizers are handling things with, in my opinion, just the right touch. The infrastructure at the competition venues is top-notch. I'm most impressed by Livigno. The freestyle facility there is absolutely world-class – exactly what the athletes dream of. The level of competition is correspondingly outstanding. In Antholz, on the other hand, you can feel the passion with which the biathlon fans cheer on their athletes. With up to 19,000 fans per competition, there's a fantastic, goosebump-inducing atmosphere.

The Winter Games are being held in a highly decentralized manner. In the lead-up to the Games, there was talk of major challenges. To what extent has this proven true in practice? How is the coordination between the different locations working?

I think the decentralized organization is working very well. The traffic chaos that many feared hasn't materialized, access to the individual venues is very easy, and the security checks are being carried out with just the right amount of discretion. It's a shame that some destinations aren't fully booked and some hotels still have empty beds. Perhaps they miscalculated with the prices. I regret that they didn't do more for the fans and show more appreciation for the athletes. Apart from Antholz, the Olympic Games aren't the kind of snow sports festivals we know from our own experience.

Swiss-Ski still has some strong contenders in the remaining days. What are your expectations for the final week of the Olympics?

So far, things have gone very well for us, and we're happy to carry this momentum into the remaining days. I don't feel any fatigue, but rather a great deal of motivation. The athletes are passionate about their performance. With aerials, ski cross, the slaloms, and the big air competitions, there are still some highlights to come. We remain focused. Our goals remain the same: every athlete should be able to deliver their best possible performance when it counts – and we will continue to support them in this. We hope that we can still have a significant say in the medal standings at several competitions.