#strongertogether Hoefflin and Gremaud: A friendship on the podium

The #StrongerTogether campaign 2022 message can be summarized by this motto: “Every rise, every fall, every victory, we’re in it together.”

When we believe in each other, we can make the unbelievable happen. Belief from others inspires belief in ourselves; to make that leap, land that trick, to push to the finish. Through every rise, every fall, every victory we’re in it together.

Sarah Hoefflin and Mathilde Gremaud are the embodiment of the #StrongerTogether spirit. Four years ago, the two Swiss athletes shared the podium in the ski slopestyle event in PyeongChang 2018, with Hoefflin winning gold and Gremaud bagging silver.

The strong bond between the two skiers played a significant role in the result and added another dimension to the special occasion.

Although Hoefflin finished 3,40 points ahead of Gremaud, the skiers celebrated each other's achievement.

"When I think about it, if I had to choose someone to finish ahead of me, I would have picked Sarah. It was so cool. Knowing that the gold medal was won by someone I like so much feels like I won it too. It feels like I've won twice," Gremaud told Olympics.com.

Both skiers admitted they had greater ambitions for PyeongChang: a Swiss podium sweep with the help of Giulia Tanno. But the Swiss team did not get the opportunity as she got injured two weeks before the PyeongChang 2018. Unfortunately, she also had to give up on her dreams of going to Beijing 2022 due to a knee injury.

"The big dream was for the three of us to be on the podium. It was the only thing I wanted: to be together on this podium. I didn’t care about the ranking, it didn’t matter if I had to finish first or third," said Hoefflin.

"Friendship is very important in sport. It makes it more attractive, and it allows you to focus on yourself and your sport without always having to compare yourself to others,” Gremaud said.

Finishing 1-2 in the slopestyle event brought the two athletes closer together.

"We didn't have much time to get to know each other before, but I feel like with everything we went through after the Games, we shared a lot. There were some hard moments and having someone next to me who had gone through the same things I had helped me a lot,” she continued.

While there were many moments the pair shared after their podium finishes, there is one that truly symbolises the friendship between the two women: their departure from the Olympic Village. Despite having an early departure for the airport the next day, Hoefflin celebrated by going out. Her teammate Gremaud was forced pack her bags for her, including her precious gold medal.

A team of "very good friends"

The story shows how much of a family the Swiss team are. In the freestyle skiing team, athletes consider each other "very good friends".

Skiers learn from each other and in this environment they share a lot of time and advice with each other.

"We’re so close, it’s really special. It helps us a lot. We’re making a lot of progress thanks to our team spirit," said Hoefflin.

"Everybody has their own path but we’re always together," said Gremaud.

The camaraderie helps the athletes reach their best, not only in terms of skiing, but it also has a positive impact on their daily lives.

"I’m learning so many things from her (Gremaud). And not only in freestyle skiing, also in terms of everyday life. She knows a lot of things, she is super smart so we have very interesting chats. It is so amazing to have her on the team," Hoefflin said about her compatriot, who is nine years her junior.

TO READ : Five things to know about freestyle skiing in Beijing 2022

Two friends who share more than an Olympic podium

Hoefflin, who started freestyle skiing in her 20s, and young prodigy Gremaud are from different generations. However, sport and a passion of skiing have brought them together. And now, they are good friends. The sense of friendship is stronger than their rivalry in competition. The two skiers appreciate, compliment and push each other to be better.

"She is a very good friend," said Hoefflin. "She is an inspiration, she is truly amazing," Gremaud confessed.

They have both reached 12 World Cup podiums of which they shared four. Sharing a podium with a close friend at the Olympic Winter Games or at any international event makes the moment even more memorable.

"Not only at the Games but it’s always better to share the podium with a close friend. It’s very inspiring," said Gremaud.

Although the two skiers often faced each other in competition, the Swiss athletes are considered friends more than rivals which has not changed over time. Their Olympic goal for Beijing 2022 has not changed either. They hope to climb onto the podium together again.