They are one of the winners of Switzerland’s major medals: the free skates. The six-man team has racked up two Olympic medals, three world titles, and eight wins at the X Games. They were among the favorites in both the big air and downhill style. What sets the team apart: Great cohesion in the group.
They call themselves “La Familia”. The hashtag is tagged on most of her social media posts. “The hashtag isn’t just a cool thing. It really is like that. We always have fun together, 2018 Olympic silver medalist Mathilde Grimaud says, “There is a lot of respect and we are happy to get along with each other.
During the World Cup, they always rented houses or apartments together rather than staying in hotels. We shop and cook together. “It all enhances the family atmosphere, it’s not just a hotel room and we see each other for dinner or else you’re in your room and you don’t meet anyone,” says Fabian Bosch.
Youth sports with young athletes
Friske is a relatively young sport. In 2014, the slopestyle and halfpipe competitions became Olympic for the first time. And some athletes are already part of the professional team at the age of 15 or 16.
When extreme sports were slowly spreading in Switzerland, special chemistry was valued. It was created from the beginning to be done on a family or fellowship basis. “When it was established at the time, coaches were no older than the athletes themselves. One of the sports was older, Busch recalls.
Greg Tüscher now takes care of successful young villains as head coach. “What I appreciate is that they help each other a lot, give each other tips and tricks. This is a great strength for the team.” Although it is an individual sport, team spirit is very important.
La Familia in Beijing
Sarah Hoflin (31)
While many started on the scene as teenagers, Hovlin found the sport late. She moved to England when she was 12, and started skating in Manchester. She was discovered by chance and accepted into the national team. In 2018, in addition to the Olympic gold medal, she also took first place in the X Games in slash style.
Andrey Ragetley (23)
scene star. The Graubünden native took part in his first competitions at the age of 13 and has since risen to become the dominant. The football fan is a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and his work ethic and regularly challenges himself with crazy challenges.
Kim Jaber (21)
The Davos Power Pack took a big hit in 2021 when he surprisingly won a bronze medal at the Big Air World Championships. At the season opener in Chur he was the only Swiss to finish in the top ten.
Mathilde Grimaud (21)
Although she was already using skates at the age of 2, her native Fribourg began her athletics career. At the age of 13 she bounced back and five years later won an Olympic silver medal. In 2020, she will be the first woman to carry the “Switch Double Cork 1440” logo.
Colin Wylie (23)
Appenzler has tried a number of sports on his way to his passion and has been part of the World Cup circuit since 2015. However, he missed matches in Pyeongchang. His brother, Thierry, who is two years younger than him, is also a free skater.
Fabian Bosch (24)
Bösch has always been considered an outstanding talent in alpine skiing and grew up alongside Marco Odermatt. In 2011, he switched to freestyle swimming, becoming world champion four years later. Although fame is not one of his goals, he is world famous for his viral video at the recent Olympics.
Sarah Hoflin (31)
While many started on the scene as teenagers, Hovlin found the sport late. She moved to England when she was 12, and started skating in Manchester. She was discovered by chance and accepted into the national team. In 2018, in addition to the Olympic gold medal, she also took first place in the X Games in slash style.
Andrey Ragetley (23)
scene star. The Graubünden native took part in his first competitions at the age of 13 and has since risen to become the dominant. The football fan is a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and his work ethic and regularly challenges himself with crazy challenges.
Kim Jaber (21)
The Davos Power Pack took a big hit in 2021 when he surprisingly won a bronze medal at the Big Air World Championships. At the season opener in Chur he was the only Swiss to finish in the top ten.
Mathilde Grimaud (21)
Although she was already using skates at the age of 2, her native Fribourg began her athletics career. At the age of 13 she bounced back and five years later won an Olympic silver medal. In 2020, she will be the first woman to carry the “Switch Double Cork 1440” logo.
Colin Wylie (23)
Appenzler has tried a number of sports on his way to his passion and has been part of the World Cup circuit since 2015. However, he missed matches in Pyeongchang. His brother, Thierry, who is two years younger than him, is also a free skater.
Fabian Bosch (24)
Bösch has always been considered an outstanding talent in alpine skiing and grew up alongside Marco Odermatt. In 2011, he switched to freestyle swimming, becoming world champion four years later. Although fame is not one of his goals, he is world famous for his viral video at the recent Olympics.
«Can’t miss the fun»
Since they spend a lot of time together, the group also grows into a second family. If they’re not on the slopes or in the gym, the group does a lot together – bowling, go-karting, golf or frisbee golf are all on the agenda. Despite the professionalism, “there can obviously be no shortage of fun, but they’re tough at it,” says Toscher.
The crew regularly proves this to be true. In Beijing, they insisted on playing a round of golf on the plaza during the training period. And Andrei Rajitelli, 23, on Thursday surprised the 37-year-old with a joke on his birthday. Without a doubt, Bündner’s Tüscher surprised him with a plate full of whipped cream on his face. But sometimes it can backfire, explains Fabian Bosch.
The imaging procedure will be expensive
“Four years ago we were in the United States on the dew tour. We bought air pressure guns from the supermarket, made targets from empty cereal boxes at home and shot them. At some point we discovered ice chips on the roof of the house and turned our eyes to them.” Everything was going fine for a while, but suddenly the angry neighbor became simple. It turns out there’s another house far away.
If he missed, the bullet shattered his window glass. “Because the windows in the US are of poor quality, this broke. This would not have happened to us.” At first the neighbor suspected that they used real weapons. But it can be clarified that they are paying 200 US dollars in compensation for the damage.
But when it’s serious, they’re ready to deliver. At X-Games two weeks ago, Ragettli took the gold in Slopestyle and the silver Gremaud. Four years ago, fellow Friborg and Sarah Hoflin greeted her from the podium in Pyeongchang. “We will do our best and try to bring home as many medals as possible. But we will not forget why we do our sport: for fun,” coach Tüscher says before leaving.
Winter Olympics in Beijing
The XXIV Olympic Winter Games will be held from February 4-20, 2022 in the Chinese capital, Beijing. All information about opening, dispatch, competition dates, majors, innovations, venues and amulets can be found in a large overview.
The XXIV Olympic Winter Games will be held from February 4-20, 2022 in the Chinese capital, Beijing. All information about opening, dispatch, competition dates, majors, innovations, venues and amulets can be found in a large overview.
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