January 13, 2026
Ueli Kestenholz, who won snowboarding's first Olympic medal in 1998, dies in Swiss avalanche
Swiss snowboard pioneer Ueli Kestenholz, who won bronze at snowboarding's 1998 Olympic debut in Nagano, died at age 50 in an avalanche, officials said Tuesday.
TL;DR
- Ueli Kestenholz, Swiss snowboard pioneer and Olympic bronze medalist, died in an avalanche.
- He was 50 years old and snowboarding in the Lötschental valley of Valais when the incident occurred.
- Kestenholz won bronze at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, marking snowboarding's Olympic debut.
- He competed in two more Winter Games and was a two-time X-Games snowboardcross champion.
- After retiring in 2006, he remained a professional outdoor athlete in disciplines like paragliding, kite surfing, and wingfoiling.
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