Olympic Games

The Olympic Games date back to ancient times. According to the traditional ancient calendar, the first official Olympic Games were held in 776 BC. The venue was the scared grove of Olympia located in present-day Greece. The most important sporting event of ancient times was held every four years even back then and was a part of the Panhellenic Games. The Olympic Games continued to be held until 393 AD, when the Roman Kaiser Theodosius I banned all pagan religious ceremonies a few decades after Greece was conquered.

Following the ancient tradition, the modern Olympic Games were introduced in 1894 on the important initiative of Pierre de Coubertin. They were held for the first time in Athens in 1896 and were hugely popular. This led to steadily adding more and more games and the first Winter Olympic Games were carried out in Chamonix in 1924. From that time onwards, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games took place every four years. Since 1992, they have been held on a staggered schedule: the Summer and Winter Games alternate every two years.

However, the over one-hundred-year history of the Olympic Games was not without its incidents and controversies. The 1916 Summer Games and the 1940 and 1944 Summer and Winter Games were cancelled because of the First and Second World Wars. Due to strict Australian quarantine regulations, the horse-racing competitions of the Melbourne 1956 Summer Games were held in Stockholm. The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games were postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and were held only in 2021 under strict safety measures.

The most recent Summer Olympic Games took place from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in Paris, and the most recent Winter Olympic Games were held from 6 to 22 February 2026 in Milano‑Cortina.

Opening and Closing Ceremonies

The opening ceremony traditionally marks the official start of the Games and takes place before most competitions. The ceremonies combine ritual elements from the Olympic Charter (the rules and principles of the International Olympic Committee), such as the athletes’ parade and the raising of the Olympic flag, with cultural performances. They represent the international Olympic ideals while also conveying aspects of the host country’s identity and culture. A particularly important part of the opening ceremony is the lighting of the Olympic flame, which burns for the entire duration of the Olympic Games.

During the athletes’ parade, the athletes march behind their country’s flag, carried by one or more flag bearers. Being chosen as a flag bearer is a very special moment in every athlete’s career. For Switzerland, this role has been held by, for example, cross‑country skier Dario Cologna (Pyeongchang 2018), alpine skier Vreni Schneider (Albertville 1992), and runner Cornelia Bürki (Seoul 1988). Roger Federer even had the honor of carrying the flag at two opening ceremonies: in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008.

The opening ceremony usually takes place in a stadium. At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, however, it was held outside a stadium for the first time: the athletes’ parade took place on boats along the Seine.

At the end of the Olympic Games, the closing ceremony marks the conclusion of the Games and includes the extinguishing of the Olympic flame. This ceremony also combines traditional elements with an artistic program. As part of the celebration, there is also an athletes’ parade, with one or more flag bearers designated for each country. Examples of Swiss flag bearers at closing ceremonies include mountain biker Nino Schurter (Rio de Janeiro 2016), triathlete Nicola Spirig (London 2012), and curler Luzia Ebnöther (Salt Lake City 2002).

Medals table

The most successful nation in the history of the Olympic Games is by far the United States, with a total of 3145 medals, followed by the USSR (1204) and Germany (1117). The United States also dominate the Summer Games with 2773 medals, while Norway leads the Winter Games with 447 medals.

Switzerland has taken part in 30 Summer and 25 Winter Olympic games. These resulted in 123 gold, 137 silver and 144 bronze medals. 213 medals were won at the Summer Games and 191 at the Winter. Switzerland has twice hosted the Olympic Games twice - in 1928 and 1948, both of which were held in St. Moritz.