Olympic medalist in snowboarding Ueli Kestenholz has died aged 50 after an avalanche accident in the Alpine region of Valais. the Swiss Ski Federation said in a statement on Tuesday.
- Olympic medalist Ueli Kestenholz died after an avalanche accident in Switzerland.
- The accident happened on Sunday in the Alpine region of Valais at an altitude of 2,400 meters.
- The avalanche hit a skier and a snowboarder, the skier escaped, Kestenholz was buried.
- Kestenholz won bronze at the 1998 Olympics and two golds at the X-Games.
- The Swiss Ski Federation expressed its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.
The accident occurred on Sunday when an avalanche was released at an altitude of approximately 2,400 meters. Police in the canton of Valais first reported the accident without naming Kestenholz. According to their information, a skier and a snowboarder were in the affected area. The skier managed to get to safety, but the snowboarder was swept away by the avalanche. They freed him from the snow and took him to the hospital, the DPA agency reported.
Kestenholz won a bronze medal in giant slalom at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The Swiss was also a two-time gold medalist from the Winter X-Games in the Boardercross/BoarderX discipline. “Our deepest condolences go out to Ueli’s family and friends,” said Swiss Ski President Peter Barandun.
