Gian Simmen
(IOC)
Updated: 2007-07-26 09:28
Lausanne, Olympic Museum, 14 January 1999: Round table on the theme "Snowboarders and the Olympic Games". Bertrand DENERVAUD, Gian SIMMEN and Gilles VOIROL. Credit: IOC Olympic Museum Collections/MAEDER Jean-Paul
Born: 19 February 1977
Birthplace: Arosa (Switzerland)
Nationality: Switzerland
Sport: Skiing
ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Nagano 1998
Salt Lake City 2002
Turin 2006
AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Gold: 1
Two Dream Runs
The snowboarding halfpipe event was added to the Olympic programme in 1998. Gian Simmen, a 20-year-old from Arosa, Switzerland, was not one of the favourites. The competition began with a qualifying round. The top six snowboarders advanced directly to the final. The rest of the entrants took part in a second qualifying round. The top six in that round also went on to the final. In the opening round, Simmen finished only 21st. He scraped through to the final by placing third in the second qualifying round. Once in the final, however, Simmen performed like a champion. Competing in a downpour, he put together two solid runs and earned a clear victory. "I can't believe it," he said. "I've never ridden like this before. Maybe only in my dreams."
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