Switzerland at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Switzerland at the 1952 Summer Olympics
IOC code	SUI
NOC	Swiss Olympic Association
Website	www.swissolympic.ch  (in German and French)
in Helsinki
Competitors	157 (148 men and 9 women) in 17 sports
Flag bearer	Walter Lehmann
Medals Ranked 11th	Gold 2 Silver 6 Bronze 6 Total 14
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games

Switzerland competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. 157 competitors, 148 men and 9 women, took part in 96 events in 17 sports. ^[1]

Gold

• Jack Günthard — Gymnastics, Men's Horizontal Bar
• Hans Eugster — Gymnastics, Men's Parallel Bars

Silver

• Fritz Schwab — Athletics, Men's 10 km Walk
• Henri Chammartin, Gustav Fischer, and Gottfried Trachsel — Equestrian, Dressage Team Competition
• Josef Stalder — Gymnastics, Men's Horizontal Bar
• Hans Eugster, Ernst Fivian, Ernst Gebendinger, Jack Günthard, Hans Schwarzentruber, Josef Stalder, Melchior Thalmann, and Jean Tschabold — Gymnastics, Men's Combined Exercises
• Enrico Bianchi, Émile Ess, Walter Leiser, Heini Scheller, and Karl Weidmann — Rowing, Men's Coxed Fours
• Robert Bürchler — Shooting, Men's Free Rifle, Three Positions

Bronze

• Oswald Zappelli — Fencing, Men's Épée Individual Competition
• Paul Barth, Willy Fitting, Paul Meister, Otto Rüfenacht, Mario Valota, and Oswald Zappelli — Fencing, Men's Épée Team Competition
• Josef Stalder — Gymnastics, Men's All-Around Individual
• Josef Stalder — Gymnastics, Men's Parallel Bars
• Hans Eugster — Gymnastics, Men's Rings
• Hans Kalt and Kurt Schmid — Rowing, Men's Coxless Pairs

Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Basketball

Main article: Basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Men's Team Competition

• Qualification Round (Group A)

• Lost to Bulgaria (58-69)
• Lost to Belgium (49-59) → did not advance

Boxing

Main article: Boxing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Canoeing

Main article: Canoeing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Cycling

Main article: Cycling at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Road Competition

Men's Individual Road Race (190.4 km)

• Rolf Graf — 5:12:45.3 (→ 17th place)
• Fausto Lurati — 5:24:58.0 (→ 50th place)
• Kobi Scherer — did not finish (→ no ranking)

Track Competition

Men's 1.000m Time Trial

• Fredy Arber

• Final — 1:15.4 (→ 15th place)

Men's 1.000m Sprint Scratch Race

• Fritz Siegenthaler — 16th place

Men's 4.000m Team Pursuit

• Hans Pfenninger, Heinrich Müller, Max Wirth, and Oskar von Büren

• Eliminated in quarterfinals (→ 8th place)

Diving

Main article: Diving at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Men

Athlete	Event	Preliminary		Final
		Points	Rank	Points	Rank
Heinz Schaub	3 m springboard	47.15	35	Did not advance
	10 m platform	54.40	31	Did not advance

Women

Athlete	Event	Preliminary		Final
		Points	Rank	Points	Rank
Ferdinanda Martini-Pautasso	10 m platform	30.04	15	Did not advance

Equestrian

Main article: Equestrian at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Fencing

Main article: Fencing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Ten fencers, nine men and one woman, represented Switzerland in 1952.

Men's épée

• Oswald Zappelli
• Paul Barth
• Paul Meister

Men's team épée

• Otto Rüfenacht, Paul Meister, Oswald Zappelli, Paul Barth, Willy Fitting, Mario Valota

Men's sabre

• Otto Greter
• Jules Amez-Droz
• Umberto Menegalli

Men's team sabre

• Umberto Menegalli, Oswald Zappelli, Otto Greter, Jules Amez-Droz

Women's foil

• Hedwig Rieder

Gymnastics

Main article: Gymnastics at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Hockey

Main article: Field hockey at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Modern pentathlon

Main article: Modern pentathlon at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Three male pentathletes represented Switzerland in 1952.

Individual

• Werner Vetterli
• Werner Schmid
• Erhard Minder

Team

• Werner Vetterli
• Werner Schmid
• Erhard Minder

Rowing

Main article: Rowing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Switzerland had 13 male rowers participate in five out of seven rowing events in 1952. ^[2]

Men's single sculls

• Paul Meyer

Men's double sculls

• Peter Stebler
• Émile Knecht

Men's coxless pair

• Kurt Schmid
• Hans Kalt

Men's coxed pair

• Walter Lüchinger
• Alex Siebenhaar
• Walter Ludin (cox)

Men's coxed four

• Rico Bianchi
• Karl Weidmann
• Heini Scheller
• Émile Ess
• Walter Leiser (cox)

Sailing

Main article: Sailing at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Shooting

Main article: Shooting at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Nine shooters represented Switzerland in 1952.

25 m pistol

• Rudolf Schnyder

50 m pistol

• Beat Rhyner
• Alexander Specker

300 m rifle, three positions

• Robert Bürchler
• August Hollenstein

50 m rifle, three positions

• Ernst Huber
• Otto Horber

50 m rifle, prone

• Otto Horber
• Ernst Huber

Trap

• Louis Cavalli
• Pierre-André Flückiger

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Men

Ranks given are within the heat.

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Michel Currat	100 m freestyle	1:07.2	7	Did not advance
Walter Schneider	400 m freestyle	5:27.3	7	Did not advance
	1500 m freestyle	21:36.2	5	—		Did not advance
Hermann Gericke	100 m backstroke	1:12.6	5	Did not advance
Alfons Oehy	200 m breaststroke	2:54.8	7	Did not advance

Women

Ranks given are within the heat.

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Susy Vaterlaus	100 m freestyle	1:16.8	6	Did not advance
Doris Gontersweiler-Vetterli	100 m backstroke	1:26.5	7	Did not advance
Margrit Knabenhans	200 m breaststroke	3:17.4	7	Did not advance
Liselotte Kobi		3:22.0	7	Did not advance

Weightlifting

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1952 Summer Olympics

Wrestling

Main article: Wrestling at the 1952 Summer Olympics

References

1. "Switzerland at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
2. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Switzerland Rowing at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2018.