Swiss Olympic History

Simon Amman completed Swiss Olympic History today by winning his fourth Gold Medal today capturing the individual title in the K120 Downhill Ski Jump. This sweeps the individual honors as he took gold earlier in the week in the K95 Ski Jump. This was the same sweep he captured in 2002 in Salt Lake City.


Most likely Amman will celebrate with his countrymen in the Swiss House, the home away from home for the visiting citizens of Switzerland.

This is the 2010 Swiss House in Vancouver. We visited the 2002 home in Salt Lake City a day before Amman took the second gold. At every Olympiad a Swiss businessman rents out a local restaurant and takes complete control of it for the two weeks of the Olympics. All of the Swiss delicacies are served giving those from the homeland a place to feel at home.


However there were some obstacles in setting up shop. For example, at Salt Lake City we were looking for some of the Swiss beers we fondly remembered from our trips in the middle 90s. With the games in Salt Lake City, the import laws of the state of Utah for alcohol presented more challenges and difficulties. Beers such as Cardinal and Feldschloseen were replaced by the local Budweisers and Coors.


No doubt Amman will make an appearance at the Swiss House tonight, just as he did in Salt Lake City following his Gold Medal performance.