Fabrice von Grünigen

Fabrice von Grünigen
Personal information
NationalitySwitzerland
Born (2001-07-30) 30 July 2001
Saanen, Switzerland
Sport
CountrySwitzerland
SportSnowboarding
Events
  • Snowboard cross
  • banked slalom
Medal record
Men's para snowboarding
Representing  Switzerland
Winter Paralympic Games
2026 Milano Cortina Banked slalom

Fabrice von Grünigen (born 30 July 2001) is a Swiss para snowboarder.

Early life

Von Grünigen was born in Saanen. He competed in amateur snowboarding and had to have his forefoot amputated and his lower leg reconstructed as a result of an accident he sustained on a high-altitude tour when he was 18. After getting back on his board, national coach Silvan Hofer became aware of von Grünigen through the efforts of a neighbor.[1]

Career

Von Grünigen made his competitive debut in the 2023–24 season, where he won the overall European Cup.[1][2] The following season, he competed in the World Cup, where he won a bronze medal and two silver medals, leading to his World Para Snowboard Championships debut in 2025.[1] During the 2025–26 FIS Para Snowboard World Cup he won at least one round in the snowboard cross.[3][4]

At the 2026 Winter Paralympics, von Grünigen crashed during training for the snowboard cross competition, leading him to withdraw from that event.[5][6] He then competed in the banked slalom event and won the silver medal there.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c "WM-Premiere für Fabrice von Grünigen" (in German). Anzeiger von Saanen. 27 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Die Winter-Paralympics 2026 in Cortina im Augepublisher=Anzeiger von Saanen" (in German). 15 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Perathoner perfect at Steamboat World Cup finale". fis-ski.com. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  4. ^ "Five new faces compete for Switzerland in Italy". bluewin.ch. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  5. ^ "Paralympics: Fabrice von Grünigen crashes during snowboard cross training". blue News. 6 March 2026.
  6. ^ "Fabrice von Grünigen verpasst ersten Wettkampf" (in German). Radio Central. 6 March 2026.
  7. ^ "Pechvogel Von Grünigen gewinnt Silber im Banked Slalom" (in German). Die Botschaft. 13 March 2026.