50-year-old Swiss snowboarder and Olympic medalist Ueli Kestenholz has died in an avalanche. This was reported on Tuesday by the Swiss Ski Federation Swiss-Ski, according to UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
Kestenholz won a bronze medal in the first Olympic snowboarding competition - giant slalom in Nagano in 1998.
He also repeatedly reached the World Cup podium and ended his sports career in 2006.
A statement from the Valais police, which does not name Kestenholz, said that an avalanche swept a snowboarder from the eastern slope of the Hockuchhriz peak at an altitude of about 2,400 meters.
According to the police, his companion, who was skiing with him, managed to escape the avalanche.