Fernande BOCHATAY

Fernande Bochatay joined the Swiss national alpine ski team in 1963 and attended the Winter Olympics in 1964, where she was ninth in the giant slalom and also competed in the slalom. Her international career did not draw attention until 1967, when she came in second and third in a slalom and giant slalom event respectively at the World Cup. She earned her first World Cup victory (in the giant slalom) in 1968 and would capture another one (in the slalom) prior to attending the 1968 Winter Olympics, where she barely edged out Florence Steurer of France to win a bronze medal in the giant slalom. Bochatay also competed in the slalom and finished seventh in the downhill at these Games. She got married in 1968 and retired from active competition in 1969 to focus on her family life, having earned a total of seven World Cup podium finishes, three of which were victories. Her nephew, speed skier Nicolas Bochatay, was killed in a training run during the 1992 Winter Olympics when he crashed into a snow groomer.