ZURICH, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Swiss snowboarder and Olympic medallist Ueli Kestenholz, 50, has died after being buried in an avalanche on Sunday within the Loetschental area of Canton Valais, the Swiss snowboarding federation Swiss-Ski mentioned on Tuesday.
Kestenholz gained a bronze medal in snowboarding’s inaugural Olympic occasion, the enormous slalom at Nagano in 1998.
He additionally secured a number of World Cup podiums, and retired from competitors in 2006.
A press release from Valais police, which didn’t determine Kestenholz by title, mentioned the avalanche swept the snowboarder from the jap flank of the Hockuchriz peak round 2,400 metres (7,874 toes) up the mountainside.
A snowboarding companion he was with managed to flee the avalanche, police mentioned.
